OCS grads say ‘Hi mom’ before joining fleet

NAVAL STATION NEWPORT, R. I. – Just as athletes say "Hi Mom" whenever a television camera is turned on them, future Navy officers at Officer Candidate School (OCS) of Officer Training Command (OTC) here like to say hi to their mothers, fathers, family members and friends at an annual event that has been held almost as long as sports has been shown on television.
    The evening before each graduating OCS class, OTC hosts a "Hi Moms" reception. The reception is an opportunity to rejoin the graduating candidates with their families after 12 weeks and to show the families the progress their loved ones made at OCS. On Oct. 21, more than 80 candidates were joined by family members at Hotel Viking, an 80-year-old hotel in the historic seaside part of downtown Newport.
    "I am very thrilled to be here," said Anita Zeidman, from Amelia Island, Fla., the grandmother of candidate officer and now U. S. Navy Ensign Ian Crone. "I was so struck tonight by the fact that we are in a volunteer service and that was very moving to me to know all these young men and women are giving their time and service to our country. It made me very proud."   
    OCS and OTC is overseen by Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), headquartered at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill. NSTC manages all initial Navy officer and enlisted accessions training except for the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA).
    Navy OCS was established in 1951. The Navy previously operated two officer candidate programs, OCS in Newport and Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) at Naval Air Station (NAS) in Pensacola, Fla. AOCS trained prospective naval aviators, naval flight officers, aviation maintenance duty officers, and air intelligence officers, while OCS trained all other officer communities. The original Navy OCS in Newport was closed down in April 1994 when the programs were merged as a single OCS at NAS Pensacola. Subsequently, in 2007 the consolidated Navy OCS curriculum was relocated back to Newport by direction of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission of 2005.
    Many OTC officials believe that the "Hi Moms" get-together began in Pensacola with AOCS back in the 1950s. Others believe the reception started when OCS Newport merged with AOCS in Pensacola in 1994. Either way, officials know it is an important part to the start of today's Navy officer's career.
    "I think it's important because what they're going to learn during their service in the fleet is that, as they serve their country, their families will help them serve," said Capt. Ken Gray, OTC commanding officer. "What better way to impress that upon them than to recognize the families and thank them for being here."
    In his speech during the "Hi Moms" reception, Gray thanked the family members for coming to Newport and for supporting their son or daughter.
    "The families instill within their children the willingness to serve," Gray said. "They imbue them with the virtues of their character. They make them who they are when they come here. It's important to recognize the families for bringing their children to this point in their lives, and it's important for the families to understand the significance of the achievement with the completion of OCS."
    That significance wasn't lost on the candidate officers who would be commissioned to ensigns the next day in a ceremony here. It was especially significant for Candidate Officer Meghan Richardt, who returned to the same location her father, Capt.(Sel.) Timothy Richardt, graduated from in 1990. It was a full circle of emotion and pride for the father and daughter, who was three-years-old when her father was commissioned at the same place she would raise her hand and recite the Oath of Office Oct. 22.
    "I've always had a great deal of pride in my father for what he does in the Navy," said Meghan Richardt, whose father traveled from Bahrain, where the former enlisted corpsman and Navy diver serves as a staff officer for the N3 Future Plans Center under the commander of Naval Forces Central Command at Bahrain. "Because he was such a huge reason for me doing this, it was so important to have him here, and when it all came together and he turned out to be the guest speaker I was very happy."
    "I'm extremely proud to be here knowing that Meghan has volunteered for this and has successfully completed very significant training here at OCS," said Capt.(Sel.) Richardt. "She volunteered for this and wanted to give something back to her nation, and we're very proud of her."
    For other candidate officers, having their parents attend the reception and graduation was a chance for them to not only say "Hi Mom" but to thank their entire families for their guidance and support.
    "Without my parents, I wouldn't be here," said newly-commissioned Ensign D' Juan Wilcher, 24, whose entire family traveled to Rhode Island from Hobart, Ind.  "They raised me up with the strength and fortitude to make it through the program and the past 12 weeks of OCS. Without them being here, my commissioning wouldn't have been completed. For me, it's all about service and that was something else I received from my family and I will always carry that with me as I continue on in my Navy career."
    Wilcher, who has been assigned as a Surface Warfare Officer on board USS Cowpens (CG 63) forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, will join his fellow commissioned ensigns and OCS classmates on board ships and submarines around the world. They have been told by OCS staffers and officers that they are beginning a challenging adventure and service as Navy officers but they are reminded also to never forget how they got to where they are.
    "I'm very proud of my son and I think and hope our support has given him the initiative to keep going and overcome all of his challenges to come," Wilcher's mother, Tonya, said.
    "My family has been great in their support and I thank them for getting me to this point in my life," Wilcher said.
    And Ensign Wilcher would probably be very content saying "Hi Mom" if ever on camera.