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Headed off to ODS for the July session... Do I need to bring my own iron? Or will they have stuff there to use?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Navy ODS Tips and Insights
- Thread starter Natya
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There will be irons available for use. The pile tends to grow slightly with each class as students leave stuff behind for others to use.
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I'm at ODS right now (we'll overlap by a couple of weeks). There are irons and boards. Be careful, some of the irons are old and if you use steam, it may spray rust (not something you want on your nice, new, expensive khakis). However, if you arrive early enough (or get liberty early on), you can head down to the NEX and buy one for under $20. That's what I did so I wouldn't have to travel with one. I'll probably leave it here when I leave since I already have one at home.
You'll definately use it if you bring it, but if it doesn't fit in your luggage, then just buy one here 🙂
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Haha, I don't know which deck you were on when you were here, but we're on deck 4 and most of them are pretty old. If you don't use steam, then they're fine, but they get left alone for a few weeks between classes, and rust develops in the little holes. Not a good thing for khakis! 😳
Bring it. You will be allowed to use makeup for your portrait and for graduation.
Hi Blee,
I am kind of confused, I visited the Navy ODS website and they give a list of what to bring, (http://www1.netc.navy.mil/nstc/otc/ods_requiredpaperwork.asp)
they said that we cannot bring anything that is not on the list or it will be "stored". What do they mean by stored, are they going to confiscate them and store it for us. I ask because everyone is suggesting we bring hair gel for fly aways, and civilian clothing, irons, extra blankets and so on, but its not on the list. Will it be ok to bring this stuff.
Thanks
I am kind of confused, I visited the Navy ODS website and they give a list of what to bring, (http://www1.netc.navy.mil/nstc/otc/ods_requiredpaperwork.asp)
they said that we cannot bring anything that is not on the list or it will be "stored". What do they mean by stored, are they going to confiscate them and store it for us. I ask because everyone is suggesting we bring hair gel for fly aways, and civilian clothing, irons, extra blankets and so on, but its not on the list. Will it be ok to bring this stuff.
Thanks
You and your roommate will each have a footlocker (which is actually the size of a small closet) to put your stuff. Your chiefs will make a point of emphasizing that your footlocker must be locked when you're not in your room; if you fail to do this, your personal belongings may end up being strewn about the passageway. 🙂 But if it's locked, it's "safe."
You can pretty much bring what you want, as long as you can store it all in your footlocker along with all of the uniform and other required items you will be purchasing at ODS. In order to prevent an unwieldy return trip, I would pack light and abide by the suggested list on the website. I would, however, bring a little more street clothing than they suggest. You will probably earn off-base, non-uniform liberty for at least a couple of days during ODS. I would also bring your normal toiletry items, perhaps scaled back as if you were taking a business trip. (The only exception to that would be on disposables, such as razor blades; they're available at the NEX at decent prices, but it's always more convenient to bring your own.)
I estimated that I'd be flying home with about twice as much stuff as I brought to Rhode Island, so I showed up with one mostly-full rolling suitcase that was too large to carry on the plane with me. I ended up checking two pieces on the way back, thanks to my stuffed, newly purchased seabag.
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You said that you PT in the morning. Do they let you shower again before you go to class? Is the shower prison-like with just a row of shower heads or do they have stalls? How much time do you have to get ready in the morning to shower/shave/brush your teeth?
Do you see any problem with bringing your iPhone? It seems like the best way for internet access, since they don't have WiFi.
Is there anything you'd recommend seeing/doing in Newport or any surrounding area during the free weekends?
Can you describe the typical day in detail? (PT until this time, breakfast at this time, powerpoints until lunch, etc)
How is the running for the physical fitness assessments done? Does everybody just line up on a track and run the 1.5 or do they have a treadmill?
Do you see any problem with bringing your iPhone? It seems like the best way for internet access, since they don't have WiFi.
Is there anything you'd recommend seeing/doing in Newport or any surrounding area during the free weekends?
Can you describe the typical day in detail? (PT until this time, breakfast at this time, powerpoints until lunch, etc)
How is the running for the physical fitness assessments done? Does everybody just line up on a track and run the 1.5 or do they have a treadmill?
I am also interested in answers to Richard's question.
About the roommate thing...
I know this is a weird question, but I am a very very light sleeper and I have had sleeping problems my whole life (I don't think its a disorder it is just harder for me to fall asleep on average it takes me 1-2 hours to fall to sleep on a good night) I promise I am not the type of person to complain and I am not high maintenance but I have a problem with people who snore. Is there a way to request a non-snoring roommate? lol, I am pretty sure I will just have to suffer through it, it is boot camp after all. Most times when I get stuck with loud roommates, or loud halls my body just learns to operate on less sleep.
But I thought I'd ask anyway.
About the roommate thing...
I know this is a weird question, but I am a very very light sleeper and I have had sleeping problems my whole life (I don't think its a disorder it is just harder for me to fall asleep on average it takes me 1-2 hours to fall to sleep on a good night) I promise I am not the type of person to complain and I am not high maintenance but I have a problem with people who snore. Is there a way to request a non-snoring roommate? lol, I am pretty sure I will just have to suffer through it, it is boot camp after all. Most times when I get stuck with loud roommates, or loud halls my body just learns to operate on less sleep.
But I thought I'd ask anyway.
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You will get a chance to shower after morning PT. (And mercifully, you will not eat breakfast until after PT.) The auditorium would get musty(er) very quickly if not for that...
Speaking of showers, I don't know how the women's head is set up, but the guys have stalls. Still, it's one facility for everyone -- think gym locker minus the lockers. Get used to being immodest.
Phone: you will not be permitted to use your phone during the day. But whenever you do get access to it, I don't think anyone would care what you bring.
Typical day: varies on the week. Morning PT is a pretty reliable item on the agenda. After chow, you have classes, but you're either in a lecture hall with PowerPoints, in a classroom with PowerPoints, or you're playing fireman, or chasing down leaks, or a number of other things. Sometime after lunch, class will let out and you'll either be headed to drill practice or dinner. Evenings will initially include time for learning how to set up your racks, how to wear your uniform, etc. Towards the end of the session, you may end up with some free time.
Running: You will run on a track for the PFT. The Navy makes allowances for those with medical needs to take the test on a treadmill, elliptical, or in the pool. You can't, however, just tell your CPO that you want to do this on test day.
Newport: There's lots of stuff to see and do, and not much time to do any of it. Downtown Newport is fun (but $$$) at night. For the touristy types, there are mansion tours, several other historic places in and near the city. There's a public dock where you can rent sailboats, if you know how to sail. If you get overnight or late-night liberty, some people have organized trips to Boston. Some of the class went to a ball game in summer whites (required) and were treated like royalty.
Roommate: LOL. No, you will be assigned a roommate, most likely alphabetically. You may then end up being switched around a bit, depending on your division chief. How would you request a non-snoring roommate, anyway? I don't recall that being on my HPSP app. 🙂
I'll say it again: The best way to enjoy ODS is to show up and take things a day at a time.
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"Stored" means you put it in your luggage, you put the luggage in a storage room in your hall, and then they lock the storage room. They'll let you get at your stuff a few weeks later.
They only made us store our civilian clothes, BTW. Everything else (electronics, irons, hair products, etc) you keep in your locker and will be allowed to use after the first few weeks.
Yes you shower, yes you have stalls, time in the morning varies but after the first week is usually about 30 minutes.
Yes, and many people have them. You can't use them for the first couple of weeks, though.
4 constants: PT at 5 a.m., breakfast a little after 6, lunch at 11, and dinner at around 5 p.m. Everything else changes every day and often several times within a day as they try to sort out who does what.
Track.
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Thank you for the quick and succinct answers.
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For any women interested in the shower situation, it sounds much like the men's. There are about 6 showers, and for us about 60 women. The showers are lined up, but have divisions between them. The opening is a curtain that is too small to cover the whole opening, so people will see you. Don't worry, we're all too busy trying to get in and out that no one will be looking intently. If you're still squimish, well, get over it. Or don't shower, your choice 😉
It's really not bad guys, please don't freak out about it. I was pretty nervous about coming here, and there are parts that suck (I'm a horrible runner, so PT in the morning can be challenging for me), but you make good friends and have a good time if you let yourself. I'm just starting the third week and I know some of my shipmates better than people I met in college.
One nice thing, is that there is generally one deck free at least some of the time you're here. Right now we're on the 4th deck, and a week into it the 3rd deck became free. This means we've been using the bathrooms and laundry facilities on the 3rd deck. I'm guessing when the new ODS class comes in this weekend, you all will be on the 3rd deck which will be dissappointing for us (not that you're there, but the decrease in facilities to use 😳). We leave July 24, so our deck may be open for a couple of weeks after that - use it to your advantage! 😛
It's really not bad guys, please don't freak out about it. I was pretty nervous about coming here, and there are parts that suck (I'm a horrible runner, so PT in the morning can be challenging for me), but you make good friends and have a good time if you let yourself. I'm just starting the third week and I know some of my shipmates better than people I met in college.
One nice thing, is that there is generally one deck free at least some of the time you're here. Right now we're on the 4th deck, and a week into it the 3rd deck became free. This means we've been using the bathrooms and laundry facilities on the 3rd deck. I'm guessing when the new ODS class comes in this weekend, you all will be on the 3rd deck which will be dissappointing for us (not that you're there, but the decrease in facilities to use 😳). We leave July 24, so our deck may be open for a couple of weeks after that - use it to your advantage! 😛
Thanks for the reply Silverhorse, How's the whether by the way, seems like it would be pretty cold all year round in Rhode Island.
Do people shower the night before? If I were to wake up a little earlier would there still be a rush to get to the showers. How are the runs, do they make you run 1.5 miles everyday. I'm like you, a really week runner so I am kind of nervous about the runs.
Do people shower the night before? If I were to wake up a little earlier would there still be a rush to get to the showers. How are the runs, do they make you run 1.5 miles everyday. I'm like you, a really week runner so I am kind of nervous about the runs.
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The PT here is REALLLY not hard. For the first week they don't do anything at all because they're trying to run you through all the administrative work. I gained two pounds right there. After that it's a blend of very short strength training sessions and very short runs. Only a couple of sessions so far have allowed us to do any exercise at our own pace, so this generally means exercising as fast as the slowest person in your group can go. And the slowest person will be really, reallly slow.
You'll run twice a week, and so far we have never gotten much over 2 miles, and with the exception of those rare individual runs on the track you probably won't break a sweat. Most people end up going to the gym on their own every night just to try to keep their weight down.
Actually, the temperature in RI during the sumer can get up there. The nice thing about the base, though, is that it's right on the water. There's usually a nice breeze that takes the edge off the sunlight. Standing around all afternoon for drill practice still isn't fun, though.
On the PT -- Perrotfish's experience seems to be a little different from mine, but I started ODS around 10 pounds heaver than I wanted to be. By week 2 we were all starving between meals, and we were piling as much food as possible onto our trays in the chow hall. I still lost those 10 pounds without even thinking about it. I found that PT was as hard as you wanted it to be, above a certain minimum amount of effort.
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Do most of the guys just show up with a shaved head or do they cut it when you get there?
Seemed to be a mix of both. There is no Full Metal Jacket-like haircut line waiting for you when you step through the gate, but if your hair is deemed to be out of regs, you will be told to get it cut at the barber shop. I showed up with relatively short hair, and I think I got mine cut/touched up twice while I was at ODS.
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I actually shower twice a day, because I'm on remedial PT. I passed the pushups and situps in the PRT but failed the running. Their goal is for you to run at least 3 days a week. It's a mixture of company runs and runs at your own pace. So far we've done a couple of company runs, one run at your pace on the track, and a session of hill repeats where we ran together to the hill and then the repeats were at your pace. I always feel bad on company runs because they put slow people up front so we don't end up dropping out because we can't keep up. So we set the pace, but the senior chief will be out front pushing us. You may find, like I did, that you run better and faster when you run with a group. Many people do go to the gym in the evenings to get a second work out; the people in my company don't seem to mind it. The other days of PT consist of exercises (pushups, situps, flutter kicks, lunges, sprints, etc). You'll take the PRT three times, once in the first week, once in week 3 (tomorrow for us) and then lastly in week 5. Don't worry about it too much; you won't be the only bad runner, and your company *should* be supportive (I'm glad mine is).
If you fail one section you fail the PRT and have to do remedial. It's not organized very well, so try to get to know your body and how to improve. None of the leaders for PRT (my peers) understand my body and how I improve, so I end up starting with them and then slowly start doing my own thing. It's not bad, it's just not understood real well. So, like I said I take two showers. In the morning after PT, I just take a really quick one since we've got 6 showers for 60 girls. In the evening is when I take the time to wash my hair.
The weather this summer has actually been a bit cold. Don't worry, you'll have PT gear for both hot and cold, and you'll get a jacket to go with khakis. It's been warm a few days, but there have been some pretty decent thunderstorms rolling through the past two weeks. It does get warmer at certain times though (like it'll pour for 5 minutes, then there'll be a little sun, then rain again). Be prepared for both, by the time you get here the storms may be through (these storms aren't normal for this time of year from what I've been told). It's not too humid which is nice (especially for someone coming from the dry heat of CA 😳).
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Thanks for all the answers, everyone!
For people still looking for info, here's the website of a wiki that has lots of details and tips about ODS: http://www.navyhpsp.net/wiki/ODS_Tips
For people still looking for info, here's the website of a wiki that has lots of details and tips about ODS: http://www.navyhpsp.net/wiki/ODS_Tips
Hi All, Thanks for all the answers.
I need some advise on the running. I've worked my way to a 9min and 50 second mile, (I'm a female) so I should be fine with passing the 1.5 mile run if I maintain that pace. Problem is my breathing is very labored and painful by the end of one mile. I have allergies all the time, and my nose is always congested out doors, so the whole breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth doesn't really work for me, I feel like I am suffocating. Does anyone have any advise about how to breathe well while running.
I need some advise on the running. I've worked my way to a 9min and 50 second mile, (I'm a female) so I should be fine with passing the 1.5 mile run if I maintain that pace. Problem is my breathing is very labored and painful by the end of one mile. I have allergies all the time, and my nose is always congested out doors, so the whole breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth doesn't really work for me, I feel like I am suffocating. Does anyone have any advise about how to breathe well while running.
If you're experiencing allergy-related congestion during your runs, try an OTC second-gen antihistamine before you run. Generic versions of Claritin (loratidine) do the trick for me during my allergy season. As for breathing, I prefer to breathe in and out through my mouth, but the trick is to take long breaths. Someone once told me to breathe as if I was yawning, which isn't quite right; it's more like long, deep breaths. I typically go 2-3 paces per inhale and 2-3 per exhale.
The other bit of advice: just keep running. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
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What are the physical requirements exactly?
How many pushups, situps, miles, etc? I'm a board certified physician in my 30's considering the U.S. Navy Reserve and would like to prepare for the physical aspect of becoming a naval officer in the medical corps.
How many pushups, situps, miles, etc? I'm a board certified physician in my 30's considering the U.S. Navy Reserve and would like to prepare for the physical aspect of becoming a naval officer in the medical corps.
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http://www.navy-prt.com/
Just click on the link that says "prt standards" and find your age group.
And a "curl-up" is basically just a sit-up.
Just click on the link that says "prt standards" and find your age group.
And a "curl-up" is basically just a sit-up.
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Thanks.
Is there a time limit for the required number of pushups and curlups? I do 90 pushups every morning as part of my routine but usually take about 2 minutes or so.
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Yes, you have two minutes to do the pushups and two minutes to do the curl-ups. Assuming that your form is correct, 90 pushups in two minutes is very impressive.
(Geezing) Ahhhhhhh, I long for the day when max was 64 and I could just stop.
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The PFT at ODS definitely has a bimodal distribution.
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I don't start to fatigue until after 45 pushups. That's when I feel some burning and have to pause for a few seconds before continuing.
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Depends who you stand behind in formation
No gas, but I was bombed by a flock of those damn seagulls while standing in formation for PI in my summer whites. Interesting experience, that.
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Yeah, you have to be careful of those seagulls! I swear they aim before they let their excriment leave their bodies! 🙄 One almost hit our senior chief when he was talking to us after our summer white inspection (in his summer whites).
Woo Hoo: I graduate ODS in 3 days and I'm excited to leave this place! 😳 I mean I'll definately miss the people I've met here, including my senior chief, but I'm excited to move on and start medical school! 😀
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Silverhorse,
Just out of meaningless curiosity, what is your rough estimate of how many of your ODS-mates are about to enter school vs. are already in school vs. have graduated and are about to enter residency?
Just out of meaningless curiosity, what is your rough estimate of how many of your ODS-mates are about to enter school vs. are already in school vs. have graduated and are about to enter residency?
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Definitely, Goose. It's really just an open-ended question for silverhorse to casually answer with "Well it seems like most people are in school right now blah blah insight etc."
I figured if I said "What is the breakdown of chaplains, dentists, lawyers, mds, etc. and what is the breakdown of pre-school/in-school/post-school within those groups?" that the answer would be "Jesus, dude, I don't know!" 😉
I figured if I said "What is the breakdown of chaplains, dentists, lawyers, mds, etc. and what is the breakdown of pre-school/in-school/post-school within those groups?" that the answer would be "Jesus, dude, I don't know!" 😉
The breakdown depends very much on your specific class. My class was the one that best fit the entering USUHS class's schedule, so the vast majority of us were rising 1st- or 2nd-year students. The rest of the class consisted of nurses, newly minted dentists, and a few MSC folks (including an entomologist). I heard that there was a higher proportion of chaplains and lawyers in the class prior to mine.
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Hi everyone, just found this thread and I'm leaving for ODS on Aug 16. A random question that I haven't been able to find an answer for: it says that I need to bring originals or "notarized copies" of important stuff (i.e. spouse's id, marriage license). What is a notarized copy? It's my understanding that notaries notarize a signature, not a photocopy. So...should I copy these things, then sign them, then have a notary notarize my signature? Or just make a copy and have them stamp it? Thanks for any help-
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One more question:
The ODS website says I need to bring Direct Deposit Info, immunization records, birth certificate, etc., but I've already submitted all of these things with the recruiting office. Do we actually have to go back and get another notarized copy of our birth certificate and our immunization records again? Shouldn't all of that already be in the system?
The ODS website says I need to bring Direct Deposit Info, immunization records, birth certificate, etc., but I've already submitted all of these things with the recruiting office. Do we actually have to go back and get another notarized copy of our birth certificate and our immunization records again? Shouldn't all of that already be in the system?
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Going Soon-
What you usually do is take your original birth certificate to a notary along with a copy of the birth certificate. The notary looks at the copy to make sure that it is an exact duplicate and then signs it saying that it is an exact duplicate of the original. With the notary's signature on the copy, the copy is now considered to be "just as good" as the original. Now you have a notarized copy of the birth certificate.
What you usually do is take your original birth certificate to a notary along with a copy of the birth certificate. The notary looks at the copy to make sure that it is an exact duplicate and then signs it saying that it is an exact duplicate of the original. With the notary's signature on the copy, the copy is now considered to be "just as good" as the original. Now you have a notarized copy of the birth certificate.
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Thanks. As for re-bringing everything, I think everyone at ODS has already accepted a commission, so therefore everyone must have already provided all those documents at some point. Since the website says we need to bring them all, and they know we all gave them to the Navy at some point, I guess we have to bring fresh copies!
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Bring copies of everything!!! Several HPSP people didn't bring their immunization stuff and ended up getting ALL the shots because the records didn't make it to ODS. I brought originals of everything and made copies here - there was one person who was qualified to make notorized copies, altough it may be good to get them done before hand in case he's not here.
In terms of ratio, I can really only speak for my company because I don't know the others real well, but I'm pretty sure they're similar. The session I'm in is the one USUHS students attend (hence, why I'm here), so there's about 30 of us who haven't started medical school (that's the whole class, there's 4 USUHS in my company). Then in my company, there's 2 nurses (finished school), three dentists (one who's done, two in the middle of school), one biochemist, and one nuclear something or another. The rest (35 people total) are HPSP - most of them are between their first and second year and about 2-3 that are in the middle of rotations (or about to begin them).
We overlap with the class after us by two weeks. From what I can see, there are a several that are MC, but there are a lot of chaplains too - our class (not just company, but class) has no chaplains and no JAG. The class after us has a lot more LTs and above, so I think there are more that are done with school. From what I've seen there are a handful in my class that are MC and done with school, they're just not in my company. We actually have two that are older, finished school a while ago, have been working in the civilian world and are now joining the military. One's joining as a LCDR and one as a CDR.
Hope that helps! 😳
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Does anyone know what the per diem is for our travel at ODS? Also do my taxi's to and from the base go under 'reimbursable expenses'?
Per Diem will be $3.50 per day. You get to sleep in the barracks and eat in the chow hall.
taxi to and from is reimbursable.
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Maybe i'm mistaken, but I've heard many people talk about being commissioned prior to attending ODS. If this is right, do you receive O-1 pay while attending, or is it E-5 pay like at OCS?
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That's awesome that they were just able to join up with that high of a rank. Do you have any idea how they did that, what was required of them?
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You will be commissioned before going to ODS, so you're paid as an O1 while you're there (with the exception of BAH, because you're living on the base). If you have a family or were prior service then you should get money based on whichever of those you fit into
In terms of the CDR and LCDR, I believe they start higher up because they've been physicians in the community for a while now. If I remember right from the first day, one asked a question that alluded to him being over 45 years of age, so he's been a physician for a while (if he went the traditional route). Neither of them were in my company so I never got to speak with them about why they get that rank - this is just my educated guess. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong 😳
Oh, and while I did enjoy most of ODS, I'm so glad I'm done now! No more hospital corners - in fact, I don't have to make my bed if I don't want to, and no one can make me! 😛
