NAVAL STATION NEWPORT, R. I. - As Officer Training Command (OTC) begins a new year of training tomorrow's Navy leaders here, the command is also looking to attract a few more senior enlisted trainers to Officer Candidate School (OCS) and several other OTC schools.
    Since the Navy established OCS in 1951, officer candidates have been trained by Navy officers and Marine Corps Drill Instructors (DIs). In the 90s, Navy senior enlisted Recruit Division Commanders (RDCs), or "red ropers," were added to the OCS training team. More like officer candidate commanders instead of recruit commanders, the chiefs, senior chiefs and master chiefs who wear the red shoulder aiguillettes here work with the Marine DIs to train and mentor the candidates. OCS would like to increase its number of senior enlisted trainers.
    "We are looking for chiefs and senior chiefs who are physically fit and motivated and want to make a difference in shaping the future of the Navy," said ETCM(SW/AW) Matt Anuci, the senior enlisted advisor, and also an OCS red roper, at OTC.
    Anuci said it is not well-known around the fleet that RDCs, who most people associate with the Navy's only boot camp, Recruit Training Command (RTC), at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., are also being assigned to OTC.
    "We're such a small command (OTC in Newport), and when you think 40,000 recruits go through RTC each year and you are always seeing the red rope of an RDC (more than 600) there, the natural assumption is that's the only place where there are RDCs," Anuci said. "The Navy also sends E-5 and E-6 RDCs to Great Lakes. Newport is totally different because we only have a select few (currently 12) senior enlisted RDCs."
    Anuci explained that OCS needs senior enlisted RDCs because of "the opportunity to mentor and mold and develop the division-officer-to-chief relationship that is a constant in the fleet."
    He also said there is a need for more enlisted khaki RDCs at OTC because many of the current 12 will transfer within the next couple of years. OTC has also been talking with the Navy Personnel Command about detailing  chiefs and senior chief petty officers who have previously been an RDC early in their careers at RTC return from the fleet to shore duty at OTC as second tour RDCs. But this isn't a requirement.
    The Shore Special Program Detailer (PERS-4010D) at Navy Personnel Command (NPC) in Millington, Tenn., periodically sends out message traffic and announces recruiting for RDCs at OTC. In a recent RDC recruiting notice, NPC announced the need for hard-charging Navy professionals to provide RDC (NEC 9508) support at OTC. The announcement described the position as one that prepares OCS graduates for service in the fleet as naval officers. The announcement also said NPC is looking for E-7 RDCs for OTC to function as senior enlisted technical experts and be responsible for the training, administration, good order and discipline and general welfare of assigned students throughout all phases of training.
    "This is absolutely the most rewarding job I've ever had and at the same time is the most demanding job that I've ever had," Anuci said.
    OCS is one of five officer training schools located at Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island. There is also the Officer Development School (ODS), Direct Commission Officer Indoctrination School (DCOIC), Limited Duty Officer and Chief Warrant Officer (LDO/CWO) school and Seaman-to-Admiral (STA-21) school. The staff officers, RDCs and DIs also provide training assistance for these schools, especially with the physical training of the students.
    Many of the current senior enlisted RDCs agree with Anuci about the job at OCS being very rewarding.
    "These candidates are the future of the Navy, and I wanted to come here to be able to make a difference in making sure these future officers are ready to join the fleet," said MMC (SW) Jamie Hebert. "It's a chance to mold a competent, confident and disciplined junior officer to send out to the fleet."
    Hebert called being an RDC at OTC challenging but a great opportunity to have an impact on the future of the Navy.
    "It also gives me sense of pride to carry on the traditions of the Navy and being able to instill some of those traditions, naval heritage or leadership to these individuals coming off the street and joining the Navy," Hebert said.
    Hebert also said one of the main jobs of any chief in the fleet is to train the newly-commissioned ensigns and junior officers to be a division officer and future leader when they report to the fleet.
    "Here at Officer Training Command, we have that opportunity everyday to train the candidates in a multitude of different facets," Hebert said. "This is definitely a more influential way to get the JOs (junior officers) ready for the fleet."
    YNCS(SW) Patricia Arnold, presently the only female RDC at OTC, called it great duty for any female chief.
    "This is an amazing tour and by far the best of my 22 years," Arnold said. "I would encourage female and male chiefs to come here. This is where you can share your experiences. This is where these young men and women are looking for guidance and direction in their lives. And this is where the chiefs that come here as RDCs are able to share their experiences and give that guidance to start these future officers out on the right foot."
    Whether a first-time RDC at OTC or a second-tour RDC, who "pushed boots" at RTC previously, all senior enlisted coming to OTC to train and mentor officer candidates need to attend RDC school at RTC. Even if the chiefs had been to the "C" School before, they need to refresh and be updated on any changes to the training of both recruits and officer candidates.
    RDCs at OTC and RTC all attend RDC school at RTC prior to their RDC duty. However, for RDC chiefs going to Newport, the few weeks of shadowing RDCs with recruit divisions at RTC isn't required. These chiefs go directly to OTC and receive a couple weeks of the training that is needed for OCS. Arnold said there has also been  discussions at OTC about adding OCS curriculum to RDC school but Arnold feels the hands-on training senior enlisted RDCs receive upon first arriving to OTC is effective.
    "I think what we learn here when we arrive at OTC is tailored perfectly to the job we need to do," Arnold said. "There is nothing better than to have the hands-on training of shadowing an OCS class, and then everything else comes with time. The great thing about the program here is we're allowed to make changes, to tailor it to our own teaching styles and be the chief."
    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 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.
    For more information on OTC and OCS, visit www.ocs.navy.mil/. For more information on RDC School, visit www.bootcamp.
navy.mil/staff/rdc_school.asp.