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Army OCS Packing List

Reporting instructions

Federal OCS · 3d Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment · Fort Benning, Georgia.

Your welcome letter and orders are the controlling documents. Report dates, report times, and the exact link-up point change between classes — if this page and your welcome letter disagree, the welcome letter wins.

Conflicting guidance from recruiters, losing units, and social media should be disregarded. Check the official OCS site before you travel.

Before you travel

  • Report with the entire packing list and a six-week supply of sundry items. Soldiers arriving from BCT should have been issued or given the chance to buy these before shipping.
  • Hand carry your medical and dental records, your orders, and DA Form 31. Do not assume your losing unit forwarded anything.
  • National Guard and Reserve candidates need an SF 507 physical dated within two years of the projected graduation date.
  • Break in both pairs of combat boots and your running shoes. Blisters in week one compound for eleven more weeks.
  • Arrive already able to pass a record Army Fitness Test. There is no ramp-up period.

Getting on post

  • If you hold a CAC, military ID, or dependent ID, you can proceed through the main gate with your orders.
  • If you do not, stop at the I-185 Visitor Control Center, located to the left of the Fort Benning main gate on I-185, and obtain a visitor pass before proceeding.
  • Bring a REAL ID-compliant driver's license. Guests attending graduation without base access need one too.
  • Driving your own vehicle? Bring registration and proof of insurance to register the POV on post.

Day of reporting

  • Report to the link-up point in your welcome letter at the time specified — historically the pavilion across from Building 83.
  • Report wearing conservative civilian casual attire:
    • A collared shirt, tucked in
    • Chino-style slacks or dress pants with a belt
    • Closed-toe shoes
    • A season-appropriate jacket — you will be outdoors and on your feet for much of the day
  • Do not wear sports or athletic clothing, t-shirts, loungewear, headgear, open-toe shoes, heels, or ripped jeans. Never mix civilian and military clothing.
  • Arrive in compliance with AR 670-1 grooming standards. Get your haircut before you travel.
  • Eat before you report and hydrate starting two days out.

Day 1 packing list inspection

There is a packing list inspection on Day 1. Unauthorized items will be confiscated and candidates missing required items can be dropped from the course. Lay your gear out against the list at home before you pack it.

Candidates arriving from BCT who were never given the chance to buy packing list items may be given a short window to purchase at the PX or Commandos when they sign in.

Money you will need

  • $350 in cash for class dues, covering class events, challenge coins, clothing, and the class gift. The amount varies by class.
  • On the first weekday, the class is transported to Clothing & Sales to purchase required items. If you arrive having bought none of the uniform items yourself, expect a bill approaching $2,000.
  • Network access in the barracks is available for a fee if you bring a personal laptop.

Unauthorized items

Tobacco and nicotine products, alcohol outside designated times and places, unapproved weapon cleaning agents, stoves and hotplates, bayonets or knives over 3 inches, pornographic or sexually provocative material, performance supplements and OTC medication, stand-alone GPS devices, minimalist running shoes (racing flats, spikes, toe shoes, barefoot simulators), video game hardware, and glass containers of any kind.

Restricted — held or limited at first, and possibly granted later in the course: food including gum and candy, cosmetics, hair nets and curlers, perfume and cologne, body sprays, personal electronics, laptops and tablets (study time only), GPS-enabled watches and phones (designated times only), civilian clothes, and scented lotions.

Vision, medical & profiles

  • If you need vision correction, bring two pairs of military-issue glasses with your current prescription, plus protective mask inserts if required.
  • Contact lenses and civilian eyewear are authorized generally, but contact lenses will not be worn under field conditions.
  • Bring APEL-approved ballistic eyewear with clear and tinted lenses.
  • Bring medications in original containers with a written list, plus any approved medical or religious accommodation memoranda.