question bout plc

[xSLAYERx]

pardon ignorance and repetitive questioning. but what is plc like? what will it require of me while in college. and last, what is the chance of getting in the marine corps through plc?

thanks again

james

p.s. will work have to let me off to fulfill these orders of plc during summers?

[xSLAYERx]

also i know you have to give yoru all through plc. no easy way in the marine corps. but i ment more of, what are the chances of a individual getting selected through plc.

[Vulture6]

First, make sure you read the threads on the PLC/OCS portion of the Marine Forum. That will give you a pretty good idea.

PLC does not impact you at college – only for the summer sessions. There are no drills, military science labs, or anything like that. However, you must maintain certain standards (physical fitness, no drugs, etc). Your OSO will stay in touch and may (or may not) run PT sessions on the weekends.

PLC = 30-40% of the harassment of boot camp, 5% of the close order drill, 1% of the rifle range (FAM fire), 200% of the basic knowledge, and 10 times the PT of boot camp.

The sole purpose of OCS (Officer Candidate School consists of all officer candidate programs, including PLC and OCC) is to screen and evaluate officer candidates for their potential to be officers of Marines… not to train them. That is a big difference from boot camp. It is a whole lot easier to quit OCS (or to be let go) than it is boot camp. If you decide that you don’t want to be an officer of Marines, then they aren’t going to keep you. (Of course, this changes once you accept a commission)

What kind of PT do you do? Some is done in PT gear, but a lot is done in combat gear. This is straight from the OCS website:

The physical training program at OCS has been designed to teach, then test and evaluate, a very high level of physical fitness in a minimum amount of time. It is built on the principles which will test physical courage, will-power and determination, while preparing you for the rigors of future Marine Corps duty. The physical aspects of OCS are designed to test an individual’s general strength and endurance under varying field and tactical conditions. You will find these aspects challenging and demanding.

• UBDs: Upper Body Development Course
• Run Circuit: A circular course in the immediate OCS area consisting of many exercise stations designed to build endurance and overall body strength.
• Fartlek Course: A 3 to 4 mile trail, consisting of nearly 1 dozen exercise stations, designed to build endurance.
• Obstacle Course: A 100 meter long series of obstacles that must be negotiated in a prescribed amount of time.
• Confidence & Tarzan, Courses: A series of high obstacles created to build an individual’s self-confidence while teaching military skills.
• Combat Readiness Test: Consists of physical events that one could likely face in combat situations.
• Conditioning Hikes: These range from 3 to 15 miles with combat gear.
• Pugil Sticks: Simulates close combat fighting.
• Combat Course: This is a 1.5 mile course which simulates a combat environment by stressing all around security and noise discipline while negotiating a series of obstacles.
• Endurance Course: A 3.5 mile course testing a candidate’s physical endurance & ability to cross and negotiate various obstacles

What are your chances of getting selected? There are a limited number of slots available each year. First you have to meet the test score requirements and must be in reasonably good physical shape. Second, you must want it. Third, once at OCS, you must prove that a) you want it, b) you possess the moral, physical, and intellectual qualities and leadership potential to be an officer of Marines, c) complete PLC without getting seriously hurt, and d) graduate college on time with the appropriate GPA.

I’ve only known a handful of guys who were involuntarily dropped from OCS, and it was either for obvious reasons (they had no business leading Marines) or for stupidity (lying, cheating, drugs, DUI). I have known many more who voluntarily dropped or didn’t volunteer to come back for Sr. summer (or made it known that they were not going to accept a commission). While OCS is competitive, they can’t keep out everyone who shouldn’t be there… obviously from the handful of truly bad officers that make it to the fleet… though the system works pretty well.

Remember, OCS evaluates a candidate’s potential to be an officer, they don’t have crystal ball to see whether or not an officer will live up to that potential.

Will work have to let you off to go to OCS? I guess that depends on where you work and what you do. What’s more important, some summer job or your career as an officer of Marines? You’ll get paid as a candidate, but don’t do it for the money. Depending on your job, you don’t have the same rights as a reservist or guardsman who gets called to active duty.

[Garrett]

i plan on going to plc, for a while i wanted to go to ocs but plc seemed more logical.

[xSLAYERx]

DUDE VULTURE! UR ROCK BRO!

hehe thanks for the information. found it very helpful. only had two questions!

how do we get into plc??? do we talk to a recruiter, go to a university?

also, im a senior in high school. will i spend time at plc before my freshman semesters start? or does plc pick up the summer after ur freshman year?

thanks again for the deep amount of information.

james

[Vulture6]

i plan on going to plc, for a while i wanted to go to ocs but plc seemed more logical.

PLC (Platoon Leader’s Course) is one of the programs offered at OCS (Officer Candidate’s School). OCC or Officer Candidate’s Course is the other one. Saying that you wanted to go to OCS but PLC seemed more logical is like saying “I wanted to go to Parris Island, but boot camp seemed more logical.”

how do we get into plc??? do we talk to a recruiter, go to a university?

How do you get into PLC? Talk to an OSO – Officer Selection Officer (an officer recruiter). They are usually not in the same office or complex as the enlisted recruiters – different mission. You have to be a college student in order to be eligible for PLC, and you can’t go to PLC until you have completed at least your first year of college. There are different PLC programs depending on what year you are in school. PLC Jr/Sr is for people who start during their freshman or sophomore years. PLC combined is for people who start during their Junior year. OCC is for people who either already have their degrees or are in their Senior year in college.

[xSLAYERx]

awesome, thanks!