Welcome Aboard, Shipmate: Navy OCS and Beyond

What to Expect

Headed to Navy OCS in a couple weeks? Interested in applying to Navy OCS but not sure you have what it takes? Maybe you have a loved one that is currently in Newport, Rhode Island and you want to know what they’re going through so you can make sure to enjoy an extra glass of wine in their honor the night before they have RLP. Whatever the case, welcome. I’m The Errant Ensign, a newly commissioned SNA (student naval aviator) officer in the United States Navy. I recently graduated OCS and am now awaiting the start of flight school in the beautiful Pensacola, Florida.

The Information You Want

The motivation behind starting this blog was to provide more insight and information on OCS, which my mother claims is more difficult to get than a no-shave chit. Looking back, I would have loved a better guide to what OCS is actually like: a realistic daily schedule, the different phases of training and maybe even a serious packing list which doesn’t include the Navy’s absurd recommendation of twelve sets of white underwear. Except for some dated Navy-sponsored OCS videos on YouTube, the only other place I found to be a good resource was AirWarriors and for some reason that five-year-old post from NavyBabeXOXO just didn’t feel that reliable- I don’t know, maybe they’re an admiral now.

A Humorous Guide

I’d like to attempt to shed some light on what a career in the Navy looks like by highlighting specific events beyond OCS like flight school and, eventually, deployment. For no extra charge I will include hilarious anecdotes aimed to embarrass myself or my peers, overused Navy buzzwords, and various other examples of what it’s really like to be in the Navy. This blog should be taken as seriously as North Korea’s missile program and the views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the US Navy, Department of Defense or the US Government.