Marine corps students train hard to get ready for journey to OCS

Brian Opel has given up his weekends to practice land navigation alone in the woods with a map and a compass.

His dedication towards a summer goal consumes the majority of his life this semester. "I live in class, the gym or my room," said Opel. "I really don't do much else anymore."

Opel, a 23-year-old junior history major from Washington Township, N.J., is among many Marine Corps juniors currently training to complete Officer Candidate School (OCS) this summer as part of the naval battalion's bulldog platoon.

"Bulldog platoon pretty much gets your body ready for some of the things that are going to be happening at OCS, we wear flak jackets, we wear boots and (utilities) a lot," Opel said.

Each of the juniors agrees that the physical training (PT) of bulldog platoon is strenuous.

"I definitely would say that the intensity of the workouts has been really good," said John Powers, a 23-year-old junior political science major from West Hampton, N.J. "You are definitely feeling it after the workouts every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday."

The physical fitness level of bulldog platoon is designed to give the officer candidates a preview of what to expect at OCS, which is generally held in a six-week summer session.

"We are just getting a taste of what PT will be like at OCS," said Michael Guzman, a 21-year-old junior physical education major from Carson, Calif. "It's just an idea to see where you are and then you have to personally push yourself towards where you think you need to be physically."

Because passing OCS is a requirement for commissioning, these candidates are focused heavily on personal readiness.

"I definitely work out a lot on my own to make sure I'm ready," said Powers. "I think if you are only utilizing the workouts that bulldog is giving us, you are definitely going to be under-prepared for OCS."

Everyone is supplementing bulldog platoon workouts with different workouts of their own.

"Some of my own workouts are just recreational, like football or basketball with friends," said Guzman. "I PT with Semper Fi Society two times a week, and with my freshmen platoon on Saturdays."

Darren Ansbigian, a 21-year-old senior criminal justice major from Stoneham, Mass., who has already graduated from OCS, emphasized the importance of physical fitness preparation in order to tolerate Virginia heat.

"Being in good shape before you go is going to alleviate all concerns about PT and heat," said Ansbigian. "The heat down there is terrible."

In addition to physical preparation by working out, OCS-bound juniors are also taking care of their health to make sure they will be competitive at OCS.

"I'm eating well and hydrating a lot," said William Butler, a 21-year-old junior criminal justice major from Midlothian, Va. "I know I have to take care of my body so I can keep working hard."

Not only do candidates face doubts about their summer training, they face anxiety about the experience.

"The hardest thing for me will be that I always get really nervous about getting sent home or failing out," said Matthew Armbruster a 20-year-old junior criminal justice major from Boonton, N.J. "I'll just be nervous the entire time."

The majority of their concerns are centered on the little amount of sleep at OCS, which according to Ansbigian is one of the biggest challenges.

"I have to manage my time around my sleep schedule," Guzman said. "The hardest part about OCS is going to be the sleep deprivation that people talk about and the long days."

Getting a passing grade at OCS is based on an evaluation that consists 25 percent on physical fitness, 25 percent on academics, and 50 percent on leadership capabilities, according to Opel.

"Academically, the three years that we've gotten from the naval science course instruction has been really helpful because everything they cover in class is exactly what's taught at OCS," Powers said.

The juniors from bulldog platoon have been focused on the academic aspect of OCS alongside their physical training.

"You really have to actually focus on your academics and study all of your knowledge like all of the history, squad tactics, and land navigation and be proficient in all of those things," Ansbigian said.

When summer hits, it will be up to these students to maintain the physical and academic training they are currently enduring.

"I'm going to have a two-week period in between ending classes and going to OCS," Powers said. "I just plan on catching up on sleep and rest, eating properly, maintain a good diet, and do a lot of running."

Other candidates will be attending OCS later in the summer, requiring a more  motivated summer training plan.

"I'm going second increment so I have to do stuff on my own before I go," said Butler. "I plan on doing stuff similar to what we are doing now, a lot of cross-fit type of stuff, push-ups, pull ups and abs workouts."

Maintaining a high physical fitness level over the summer will be challenging for some of these juniors.

"It sucks because you can't go on nearly as good of a hike in New Jersey because it's all flat," Opel said. "Here in Vermont, we have mountains so it's easier to get the good training in."

Ansbigian also emphasizes the importance of staying focused on OCS academics prior to reporting.  "Land navigation is a perishable skill and the longer you wait to go to OCS, you might forget how to do it," said Ansbigian. "You do it over and over here at school but then if a month of your summer goes by you could get kind of fuzzy."

But all of this training and preparation will pay off for the members of bulldog platoon when they complete OCS, taking a major stepping stone towards commissioning.

" It's basically going to be like ‘mission complete', we get through it and then we are one step closer to being able to call ourselves Marine Corps officers," said Powers. "It's just going to be a huge accomplishment."

Many of these juniors know that graduating OCS will be another step towards a long-desired goal of being a Marine.

"I've wanted to be a Marine since I was 10," said Opel. "It's really the first step on a pretty long journey towards getting where I want to be in the Marine Corps."