- 8 minutes ago
On their first day of training, all aspiring officers in US Navy Officer Candidate School must endure a punishing gauntlet known as "First Tuesday," an intense event that tests them mentally and physically in the span of just under two hours. Business Insider's chief video correspondent Graham Flanagan went inside "First Tuesday" at Navy OCS in Newport, Rhode Island as 126 candidates began their journey toward earning their commissions as Naval officers. Led by a US Marine Corps drill instructor, the event sets the tone for the 13-week training course, potentially weeding out anyone having second thoughts.
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00:00Push-ups! Push-ups, aye, sir!
00:02High knees! High knees, aye, sir!
00:03I'm gonna get teamwork out of you, scream, aye, sir!
00:05Aye, sir!
00:06This is day one at U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School.
00:12126 candidates begin their journey toward becoming naval officers
00:16with a punishing gauntlet known as First Tuesday.
00:20All candidates have college degrees.
00:24Some have just graduated, and others have already served in the enlisted ranks.
00:29These young men and women that you are recording today
00:32are the newest officer candidates here at Navy OCS.
00:36This command produces 72% of all naval officers that are in the Navy.
00:41Aye, sir!
00:42First Tuesday is designed to test the candidates mentally and physically.
00:47Aye, sir!
00:48To weed out anyone having second thoughts
00:51and set the tone for 13 weeks of officer training.
00:55Aye!
00:59But their journey starts two days earlier
01:01with haircuts that signal the end of their civilian lives.
01:19When you felt that razor touch your head, what did that feel like, that transformation?
01:25It made it real.
01:26It made it feel like you are here.
01:30There's no going back.
01:31You have committed to this.
01:35The team drill instructor of OCS is...
01:39Is...
01:40Master Sergeant Hashtag.
01:41Master Sergeant Hashtag.
01:43My name is Gunnar Sean Guerrero,
01:44and I am the drill instructor for this specific Class 01 Tag 26.
01:49So right now, they're getting haircuts.
01:51It's the first haircut from here in OCS,
01:54and they're getting the uniform issue,
01:56which is what they need to start training.
01:58Portals, at the end, that's you.
01:59I'm talking to you.
02:00Yes, sir.
02:01Aye, sir.
02:02Aye, sir.
02:03Run, run, run, run.
02:04Why are Marine Corps drill instructors involved in OCS?
02:09The Marine Corps has a long history with Navy OCS.
02:12In the original Navy OCS, there were only drill instructors.
02:16The Marines bring their own skills and their own tactics.
02:18Good?
02:19Yes, sir.
02:21It definitely felt weird,
02:23but it was something I was prepared for and ready for.
02:26My head was definitely spinning at first.
02:28They put us through a lot quickly here.
02:32I was terrified the entire time,
02:34wondering, am I going to DOR on the first day?
02:38What's DOR?
02:39That's drop on a crest, which means you quit.
02:43My parents were never comfortable with the idea,
02:46but they tolerate it.
02:47I remember the night I told them both my parents were crying.
02:51They were crying when they dropped me off at the airport to come here.
02:54I think part of it is just realizing
02:57that I could be put into the line of danger.
03:00To me, however, that seems rather intriguing
03:04to be the tip of the spear and be in the fight.
03:08Upon receiving the command of execution,
03:10we will route step, march, to Nimitz Hall
03:12to carry out the plan of the day.
03:13Aye, sir.
03:15Zero, one.
03:15Zero, one.
03:16Zero, two.
03:16I would say the most mentally challenging part of it
03:20would be you don't know what's coming next.
03:35We call it First Tuesday.
03:43It's a wake-up call.
03:44They know where they are after this day.
03:48Sit down right now.
03:50Aye, sir.
03:51From this point on, you will not say another word.
03:53Scream, aye, sir.
03:53Aye, sir.
03:55Our mission is to train each and one of you
03:57to become a United States Naval Officer.
03:59We will give every effort to train you,
04:02even after some of you have given up on yourselves.
04:04Starting now, you will treat me and all the staff members
04:07with the highest respect.
04:09For we have our own place as such,
04:11and we'll accept nothing less that from you.
04:14Above all else, never quit or give up.
04:17For we offer you the challenge of Officer Cannon School
04:20and the opportunity to earn your commission
04:22as a United States Naval Officer.
04:24Now, and only when I tell you to,
04:26you are going to stand up and shake out your legs.
04:28All you feel, scream, aye, sir.
04:30Aye, sir.
04:31Stand up right now.
04:32Aye, sir.
04:39We give them expectations.
04:40We tell them what we expect from them
04:42and what they should be expecting from us.
04:45They also get introduced to physical fitness.
04:46Aye, sir.
04:48Push up.
04:50Aye, sir.
04:55Aye, sir.
04:59Push up, push up.
05:00Push up, push up.
05:01Push up, push up.
05:05Push up.
05:06Push up.
05:07Push up.
05:07Get your legs straight.
05:08Push up.
05:09It's important for them to get pushed on the first Tuesday.
05:12One, they learn mental toughness.
05:14That's really the biggest thing.
05:15A lot of these adults don't know how much they can push themselves until they do it.
05:20Push up.
05:22Push up.
05:22Push up.
05:23Push up.
05:24Push up.
05:25Push up.
05:25Push up.
05:26They have no other choice but to actually execute the commands.
05:32So the staff supporting the events, they are running around as I am calling the commands.
05:37Those staff members are helping me reiterate the commands for the back, in the middle, in
05:41the center for the ones that are not paying attention, as well as looking for people who
05:45are doing the exercises incorrectly.
05:47Push up, push up.
05:48Go up to the back.
05:49Firebells.
05:51If they find a candidate that's making an exercise incorrectly, the leadership will
05:56pull that candidate and get him further evaluated in the back.
05:59Push up.
06:00Push up.
06:01Push up.
06:01Push up.
06:03Push.
06:04Push.
06:05Push.
06:06Push.
06:07Push.
06:08Once they get pulled, they get sent to the back, to the leadership, where the leadership
06:11further evaluates them, and at that point, they make a decision where the person has failed
06:15the event or not.
06:17We have offered numerous videos online of the experience here and what we expect physically.
06:23Between the recruiters and the internet, we expect that you should show up here and
06:26have a little bit of physical fitness in you.
06:29However, this is a training command.
06:32So we will take people's sons and daughters and get them to the standard that they need
06:37to be at.
06:37Get up.
06:38Get up.
06:40Get up.
06:41Get up.
06:42Get up.
06:43Keep pushing.
06:44I'm sorry.
06:51The first thing I'm looking for is safety.
06:53I'm making sure that they are paying attention to me, that they're all responding.
06:56They might see it as responding.
06:57I'm making them scream, as being mean to them.
06:59However, when they respond, it tells me that they're still there with me and that they're
07:03still awake and they're not injured.
07:04they're not going to pass out on me, and so safety is always first.
07:08Aye, sir!
07:095, 9, 9, 7, 6, 5, 5, 3, 2, 1!
07:13Aye, sir!
07:14Spring!
07:15Aye, sir!
07:17All of you drink water right now!
07:18Aye, sir!
07:20You got 60, 59, 58, 57, 56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51.
07:25They pushed us hard, and I have to admit I had doubts going in whether I could make it,
07:29but we didn't give up and learned a lot about ourselves in the process.
07:35Here we go, screw my sir!
07:36Aye, sir!
07:37Here we go, screw my sir!
07:38Aye, sir!
07:39And I'll give you a little bit of fuel today.
07:41I'm pushing whatever's coming next.
07:42Screw my sir!
07:43Aye, sir!
07:44Why are you screaming pay?
07:45Pay!
07:46No, don't sing it.
07:47Pay!
07:47Pay!
07:48Pay!
07:50Pay!
07:51Pay!
07:51Pay!
07:52Pay!
07:52Pay!
07:52You're five!
07:54You're six!
07:55It was very tough, but at the end of the day, it was a lot easier than everybody makes it
08:00out to be.
08:01You can't really fail, you just have to not be doing it.
08:04That's the only way you can fail, so it wasn't as scary to me.
08:06Are we tired, huh?
08:08No!
08:08No, sir!
08:09Are we tired?
08:10No, sir!
08:11ACO 1-106!
08:12Aye, sir!
08:13Sprint out!
08:14Aye, sir!
08:16So once we finished with K, we exited the building.
08:19Left foot!
08:19Left foot!
08:20Sail dog!
08:21Sail dog!
08:21And we taught them double time, which is just how they're going to move around during
08:26physical fitness in the mornings.
08:27Left foot!
08:28Left foot!
08:28Left foot!
08:29I took them around the base, wanted a little run, so they kind of got their heart rate
08:33up.
08:33And then we came to the pit here in Nimitz.
08:36Move!
08:3721, 23, 22, 21, 20!
08:44They've already been exercising in the building.
08:46Now they came to the pit.
08:47I know they're tired.
08:48But the mental toughness of not quitting, that's a good thing.
08:52That's a positive, that's a mental toughness that they're going to continue progressing
08:56as the weeks go on.
08:58Discipline!
08:59Discipline!
09:00The discipline!
09:00The police force!
09:01Respect for authority!
09:03Self-reliance!
09:04And teamwork!
09:05Squad!
09:05Squad!
09:07Squad!
09:07Squad!
09:08Oh, the sand pit.
09:10It does suck.
09:11Now you're gonna move like pistons through my shirt!
09:13Aye, sir!
09:13Going through it, just whatever they tell you to do, just do it.
09:17You're all suffering.
09:18Faster!
09:19Faster, sir!
09:20Faster!
09:20Faster, sir!
09:21It's a small sandbox.
09:22You're in close proximity with all your fellow sailors.
09:26Push up, guys, sir!
09:27Push up, guys, sir!
09:28Push up, guys, sir!
09:29Kicking up dust is getting in your hair and your eyes and running down your shirt.
09:34It just made it a whole different level of uncomfortable.
09:37I'm gonna get teamwork out of you.
09:39Screw my shirt!
09:39Aye, sir!
09:40That's still not the loudest you can get.
09:41Scream, aye, sir!
09:42Aye, sir!
09:43That's still not all of you right now.
09:44Scream, aye, sir!
09:45Aye, sir!
09:46Are we tired?
09:47No, sir!
09:47Are we tired?
09:48No, sir!
09:49Are we tired?
09:50No, sir!
09:50Are we tired?
09:51No, sir!
09:52Push up!
09:53Push up!
09:54Aye, sir!
09:57So we can't scream, huh?
09:59Yes, sir!
10:00We just choose not to.
10:01Scream, aye, sir!
10:02Aye, sir!
10:02And now I know.
10:03Scream, aye, sir!
10:04Aye, sir!
10:05And now I know when you're not screaming.
10:06And when you choose to doggone do whatever the hell you think you want to do.
10:09Scream, aye, sir!
10:10Aye, sir!
10:11So once we PT'd for 10 minutes, I sent them back for a 30 second hydration.
10:15Aye, sir!
10:15As they exited, they passed all the staff members and just did not give a proper greeting of the day.
10:20What are you supposed to do every time you pass a staff member?
10:22Scream, aye, sir!
10:24Can we do that over there any time?
10:25No, sir!
10:26Oh, you look at me right now?
10:27Aye, sir!
10:28We're in the pit right now!
10:29Aye, sir!
10:30Sprint!
10:31Goodbye, sir!
10:34I explained to them that they are going to be held accountable for everything that they do wrong,
10:38especially if you've already been instructed once on how to do it.
10:43High play!
10:44High play, aye, sir!
10:46High play!
10:46High play, aye, sir!
10:48High play!
10:48High play, aye, sir!
10:48High play, aye, sir!
10:49If you don't get it right, you will learn very quickly.
10:52Just those small things, the proper greeting of the day, you have to pay attention to that
10:56because if you can't get that right, then how can they trust us with a ship?
11:00Good morning!
11:02Good morning!
11:02Good morning!
11:03Good morning!
11:03There are people today who this is that first major event where they see that they're struggling
11:08physically and they don't think they can do it.
11:11So there's a good chance that today somebody's going to say, I want to drop on request.
11:15This is not for me.
11:16We are going to pull that candidate to the side, talk to them, explain to them that their service
11:21agreement that they signed says that they have to do a minimum of five weeks.
11:24They don't have to do anything past five weeks, but they need to do five weeks.
11:27Surprisingly, we actually have quite a few of them that choose not to DOR after that
11:32five weeks.
11:33They realize that they can do this and see themselves improving and end up sticking with it.
11:37Yes!
11:38I said, I have!
11:38I have, I have, I have!
11:41I have!
11:41I have, I have!
11:42I am, I serve!
11:43The why, right?
11:44Yes, sir!
11:45We all have different reasons, right?
11:46Yes, sir!
11:47We all have different reasons why we want to serve?
11:49Yes, sir!
11:50Why you decided to join the daggone navy and come to the daggone officer candidate school,
11:55with my serve.
11:56I serve!
11:56So when I say why we dagger will think about that in our daggone freaking brain housing group
12:02And remember to keep pushing just a little bit more for my shirt
12:06Why is as important as you say it is then that why is gonna take you a very very long
12:11way here in the next 13 weeks for my shirt
12:22We're going to give the what before you exit
12:36I was starting to wonder when or if that was gonna end but we kept going and it did end
12:41and we made it
12:44It's hard, but it's a fun type of hard, you know pushing yourself to that next level it hurts
12:49It's tough. It's pushing you in all these different ways
12:55There's still no place. I'd rather be any other questions
13:19You
13:20You
13:20You