A Road to the Sea: My Experience at ODS (Officer Development School)

Well, I survived the five weeks of Officer Development School. My class, 13100, consisted of 106 officers. They were JAGs, Doctors, Nurses, Dentists, Pharmacists, Psychologists, Nuclear Instructors, and 19 Chaplains. We were divided into two companies: Oscar and Papa (pronounced Pah PAH).

Our class officers were: Lt. Washington and Lt. Randle. Our Class Chiefs were both women: Chief Sowinski and Chief Nestle. So, Lt. Randle and Chief Nestle were in charge of Papa company.

ODS students in King Hall in PT uniform.

typical night studying, polishing shoes...

or getting uniforms ready.

The first two weeks were like a nightmare. We started at 0400 Monday morning outside our hatches (rooms) in PT gear (Yellow Navy athletic shirt, Navy blue shorts and Sneakers.) I was mostly delirious this whole week due to lack of sleep, lack of coffee and stress. I would wake up at 3:45 or 0400 most days, I would shave and make my bed (this required precision 45 degrees mitred corners).

Creative bed making...how to get it tight and sharp corners?

We would muster (gather) in the hallway and make sure our uniforms were matched perfectly. This make that shoe laced were laced the same, laced were tucked in, glow belts on, and all in sweatshirts or no sweatshirts. We had to match (regardless of who was cold or hot.)

We would do PT exercises usually at 0500 most mornings on the football field. We would be sweaty, wet and covered in black astroturf pellets. Then we would either run over to the chow hall and have 15 minutes to eat (after everyone got their food), or we would go to head and hygiene first in 20 minutes and then go to chow.

The rest of the days included going to an auditorium and trying to stay awake during briefs on Navy benefits or Classes on history, Naval warfare, Rank Structure, Navy Law, etc. There were the occasional urine test, medical exam and immunizations and administrative task.

Class at Perry Hall. Notice the empty seats.

That is because a large group of students are standing trying not to fall asleep!!

We had no freedom to go to the store or anywhere without a buddy and permission. I ran out of shaving cream, but couldn’t just go to the store for a couple days. I was frustrated.

That weekend we had “on base liberty.” So we could go to the uniform shop, commissary (food store), "NEX" - Navy Exchange (department store/pharmacy), the Internet Café or the “liberty center,” which had a bowling alley, video games, computers, pool tables and food different from the galley.

There was a little prayer room on the (2nd deck 2nd floor) that I had permission to say mass in. Each weekend I went to the base chapel for the 0900 Catholic mass. It gave me comfort and strength to go on.

Some cool training

In the second week, we start wearing Khaki uniform. This can be worn anytime in normal work (Not formal occasions, I’ll explain later). The inspection leading up to this was nerve racking. We had to know our "knowledge" - ranks, Sailor Creed and hymns, and various things we were learning. We gathered at 0500 in Kay hall and were quizzed and our uniform and military bearing was inspected.

We stood at attention while we were inspected.

Lt. Patron grilling Chaplain Dan Chester

(cool guy btw -- we were interviewed at the Pentagon in the same group.)

Our Division officer and Papa company standing at parade rest.

We did a 3^rd class swim test which included jumping off a 10 foot platform, do a 5 minute dead man’s float (can take breaths), and a 50 yard swim.

We did firefighting training. Were we sat in class for a few hours. Then we dressed in full firefighter gear with SCBA – Self Contained Breathing Apparatus and grabbed a fire extinguisher and went into a dark, smoky room with a kitchen fire. Then in groups of five, we grabbed a fire hose and went into a darker, smokier room to fire a 5-foot high, 20 foot wide (propane) fire. It was super-scary and hot and sweaty. My mask kept leaking air so I thought I was going to suffocate. However when I came out I had 30 minutes of air left! Did I mention we were so tired that we were almost falling asleep standing up?

Learning how to tackle a runaway firehose!

Trainer explaining what we are about to do...

In full firefighting gear, we had 5 people on each hose, carefully step into a dark, smoky room to fight a 20 foot wide (propane) fire! Note that the door is a typical hatch on a Navy ship.

We also did Damage Control training on the “USS Buttercup” a free-floating trainer that is a 2 deck ship floating in a 30,000 gallon pool. We sat in class to learn about firefighting aboard ship. Then we put on boots and got training in how to plug a large hole or secure a hatch with a rubber gasket and wood 4x4s. This was a lot of fun. We were floating around in 4 feet of water trying to assemble wood to close a hatch that had more water flooding in. In the second go around, my team waited and waited and there was about 5 minutes left until the ship “sunk.” SO I asked the Damage control guy if my team were needed. Turns out that a compartment in the corner had a hatch that was leaking. SO my team was ready to go, we climbed down the ladder, grabbed the wood, assembled the brace structure and hammered the wood shims into place – just in time to save the ship!!! High fives all around.

Week 3

The third week got better. We continued with classes. Had and exam and our summer whites inspection. Starting to get it a little…. We were given off base liberty, so we could go into Newport. My roommate, Chaplain Jon Maruszewski set up a lunch at the Mooring restaurant in Newport which was awesome.

A bunch of us in khakis and six ladies who wore summer whites outside of the restaurant.

Standing at the dock of the bay-ay-ay....

It got better...

Fourth and Fifth weeks were good. Being treated more adult. Still PT at 0500 and 15 minute chow during the days. But we were doing so well with no catastrophes that we were given more liberty, but still were in classes from 0800 until 1600 or so.

Class 13100 Papa Company with Class Officer, Lt. Randle and Class Chief, Chief Nestle.

Last week, we wore NWUs and prepared for graduation. Mom and Jill (big sis) came up for graduation. There was a nice reception at the "O club" officer club the night before. It was a great ending to a tough five weeks.

Here's the Papa flag. It stands for "P" in the alphabet and also means "Return to ship, heading out to sea." see http://www.navy.mil/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=273