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Comment by Julie JW on July 4, 2021 at 3:17pm

Hello all. Happy 4th! My son graduated From the United States Merchant Marine Academy two weeks ago and will report to Charleston in November. Anybody else have kiddos heading to Charleston in November?

Comment by Sunshine4 on April 14, 2021 at 2:43pm

Hi NUPOC moms, I am a newbie (son accepted into NUPOC program just 4 weeks ago) and of course I am a bundle of emotions - pride, love, wistful, teary, etc...the whole works! He has 1.5 - 2 years of Engineering school yet, so I do have time to get my heart in order ;). In the meantime, I look forward to connecting with other NUPOC moms and hope I am not too bothersome with my bucket-full of questions over the coming months. My son is going the Sub route. 

Comment by ITgal on April 15, 2019 at 3:51pm

Hi New Adventures - Best of luck to him in the interview.  If he's looking at an August date for that, he has some time to prepare.  I think you'll hear the best piece of advice OCS grads give is to focus on the Physical preparation and the 'knowledge' they are to memorize before arriving there.  The Navy will pay for the flight and a hotel room the night before report date.  I don't remember (it's 6 years ago for me) if he had to buy and be reimbursed or if they booked it for him.  You also could drive him, but personally I would plan on leaving him there at the hotel the night before and not staying yourself.  It's an evening for them to meet their new classmates, comparing notes, etc.

For uniforms, they are offered a credit card for use only at the Navy Exchange (STAR Card, I think?) and if you use that you receive a discount on the purchase.  I think everyone in my son's class did that.  They get their uniform allowance pay while they're there.  It doesn't cover the total cost of what they're required to have, but goes a good way toward it.  They will make sure the uniform fits, so don't worry about that!

He won't need a car at OCS and if he did have one, wouldn't be allowed to use it until at least week 9.

My son was home for about 2 months after OCS before reporting to his next training.  At that point he bought a used car and drove that until he completed the pipeline and was stationed in Pearl Harbor.  He then sold his car and bought another used one in HI rather than shipping his car.

There are a lot of housing options in Goose Creek and Ballston Spa.  There are some short term leases, but even if he takes a longer term lease, the Soldier and Sailors Relief Act requires landlords to allow them to terminate a lease without penalty if they receive orders to move.  He will likely have some classmates coming out of OCS that will be going to Goose Creek, so he won't be alone:)

I know the hurry up and wait can be exhausting.  Try to keep your planning flexible and you'll both do just fine.

Comment by Eaglemom01 on April 15, 2019 at 3:04pm

New Adventures- Welcome to the Navy family!  My son did NUPOC in 2017 after graduating from UT in Austin (Texas).  He too wished he had heard about it sooner to avoid some things.  He was ok financially due to scholarships but other things like living expenses were high.  Once he gets his clearance and a date to arrive at OCS things move quickly and slowly at the same time!! The 12 weeks flew by for him but seemed so slow to me with him so far away.  My son did not know about ironing and some of the other things-they will learn as a class and help each other out.  They will figure out who can iron straight, polish and make beds and assembly lines form often for those things to help the class succeed.  They do it for everything it sounded like so they could all move up together (unless hurt or rolled for some other reason).  My son flew from here to there-figured out how to get there when the last flight was cancelled and he still had to make an early report time (had to call someone there so they knew).  I think they estimated the start up "fees" were about 3000$ which covered just about everything he needed.

As for housing it is covered in OCS but he will have to move out of the barracks classes are in if he does not have orders when it is over and move to a different one as officers can no longer bunk with the enlisted there.  Ours ended up with 6 months between when he finished and had to report to Goose Creek for Power School.  That is not always the case but was nice since he came home with us and was still earning money to help pay off bills. There should be tailors and or someone to fit him for uniforms there at OCS.

Housing in Goose Creek depends.  My son as an officer did not have to live on base for Power School and actually roomed with someone from OCS while there.  They do have to move off base for Prototype.   All I could get from him about the leases was that it is a military town and they are used to leases being broken-some places have short leases and others have a military clause if you get orders. Hope this helps.  Feel free to send a friend request and ask other questions if needed.

Comment by New Adventures on April 15, 2019 at 1:41pm

ITgal,  He has his degree and wishes he knew about the program while is school.  So much school debt could have been  avoided.  He does not share much but started talking about joining the military about a year ago and Navy last summer.  To be honest it has been on the edges since he was little.  He is pending the security clearance and the interviews in DC at this point.  He came back from San Diego more exited then I have seen in about anything in a long time.

It seems from all I have found that to some extent he will behind the curve on odd things like ironing (I do not so can't even show him how), not having a car, funds.  He really has not been able to get a job with all the hurry up and wait, change of dates and times, weekly mtgs that change an hour before they were to happen, etc.  

It looks like if he gets in the first few weeks at OCS will be expensive. It sounds like he may need a car for OCS but definitely for Proto.  He has the Student loans to pay as well. How much do we need to plan for to help him before the pay catches up to the need?  I will need to plan to do that.

If he ends up enlisted he will be transported to GLs but if he does go to OCS does the Navy get him there?  If not, how bad would it look if we take him.  OSC is a drivable trip. 

Any ideas when OCS starts over the next few of months? No date for DC but I think it should be by Aug. 

If i understand it housing is provided at OCS and PS but not Proto, what about Sub Officer?  Are there furnished places available during Proto?  Short term leases?  Even in collage they only had full year leases available where he went.

Are there tailors at OCS.  He is very slim and the last suit had to practically be rebuilt to fit.  I have a hard time imagining "off the rack" formal uniforms fitting.

Comment by ITgal on April 15, 2019 at 12:38pm

Is your child still in school or does he/she already have a degree?  Best of luck with the selection process!  Go ahead and post your questions.  If anyone has an answer, I'm sure they'll chime in.

Comment by New Adventures on April 15, 2019 at 9:03am

My child is in the process of joining NUPOC and has only one step left, I think, until being accepted (fingers crossed) and heading to OCS.  I have so many odd and some practical questions that I still have not figured out the answers to and hope someone here might be able to help. 

Comment by submom⚓️pwm on December 2, 2017 at 8:23pm

My son will be in Charleston in January. He is looking to share an apartment or rent a room. I posted on another group, but thought I would try here, too.

Comment by Debbie1215 on October 20, 2017 at 10:46am

My son is there since July. Was held and didn’t actually start classes until a month ago. Will go to NY in March

Comment by Duchess2006 on October 20, 2017 at 10:27am

Guess there aren't many current moms with officers current at NPS?   

My son will graduate that school in November and then start prototype in Saratoga Springs.

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