Officer Candidate School - Philippines

The Officer Candidate School or OCS is a military institution for future officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) which trains civilians and enlisted personnel who are baccalaureate degree holders. The one-year course prepares an officer candidate (OC) with a rank of Probationary Second Lieutenant and Probationary Ensign to be mentally, physically and emotionally fit to earn a commission as an officer in the Philippine Army, the Philippine Constabulary (now defunct), the Philippine Air Force, the Philippine Navy, and the Technical Service (the Medical Administrative Corps and the Women's Auxiliary Corps). Graduates of this School are commissioned as Second Lieutenants and Ensigns in the AFP Regular and Reserve Forces by the President of the Republic of the Philippines who also serves as the Commander-In-Chief of the AFP.

History

The Officer Candidate School traces its humble beginnings from the School for Reserve Commission (SRC) founded in 1937 to handle the training of OCs selected from 20-year old trainees who have completed trainee instructions. Under the provisions of Section 34, Article IV of the National Defense Act, the School came into existence. Under the SRC, three Branch Schools were organized: the Field Artillery School in Camp del Pilar, Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga; the Infantry School in Camp Ord, Tarlac; and the Infantry School in Camp Keithley, Lanao. These Schools continued operations until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1941.

After the War, the SRC was reactivated and assigned with the Philippine Army School Center (PASC), Philippine Army Training Command in Fort McKinley, Rizal pursuant to AFP GHQ General Orders No. 412 s-54. From April 1951 to May 1953, the Philippine Air Force at Nichols Air Base conducted three Officer Candidate Courses and the successful OCs were subsequently commissioned in the AFP Reserve Force. The training was subsequently taken over by the Ground Combat School, PASC at Fort McKinley, Rizal wherein six classes graduated and commisoned in the AFP Reserve Force.

The SRC completed the training of Classes Nos. 7 to 25 from September 1954 to April 1959. Upon graduation of Class No. 25, the Course was stopped once again. On April 6, 1959, an Army training directive was issued requiring SRC to conduct Non-Commissioned Officer Course (NCOC). Two months later, the SRC vacated its old site in Fort MacKinley and transferred to Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija. The NCOC Class Nos. 1, 2 and 3 graduated during the period April 10, 1959 to January 29, 1960.

In 1975, the SRC resumed its training at Camp Tinio, Brgy. Bangad, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. One SRC class was also conducted exclusively for the Philippine Air Force in 1975. After Class 01-75, the SRC was changed to AFP Officer Candidate School (AFPOCS) but the program of instruction for the OCs remained. There were seven classes conducted at AFPOCS before it closed its doors in 1979.

After 12 years of non-existence, the AFPOCS was transferred to Camp Capinpin, Brgy. Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal and was eventually placed under the AFP Training Command. The first Officer Candidate Course (OCC) class started in 1987 and since then, it has successfully graduated 17 OCC classes. The graduates of the one-year OCC were subesquently commissioned as Second Lieutenants and Ensigns in the Regular Force and the Reserve Force of the AFP. The OCs in this era came not only from the enlisted personnel but professionals and baccalaureate degree holders from the civilian sector. Some Filipino OCs were sent to continue their training in Australia, India, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom. In 1993, the AFPOCS admitted its first foreign students from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces ("Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei") and joined the AFPOCS "Balikatan" Class 12-94. In 1994, five female OCs belonging to AFPOCS "Balikatan" Class 12-94 graduated to become the first female officers of the AFP and were not included anymore as Women's Auxiliary Corps officers.

The AFPOCS graduated its last class in 1997 before it was deactivated by higher headquarters pursuant to Letter of Instructions No. 24/97 and decentralized to the three Major Services of the AFP, the Army, Air Force and Navy. When the OCS was absorbed by the Training and Doctrine Command of the Philippine Army, it conducted Officer Candidate Training in two classes for 105 former rebels of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) pursuant to the September 1996 Peace Agreement between the Philippine Government and the MNLF. The graduates of the Officer Candidate Training were immediately commissioned as Second Lieutenants and integrated to the AFP. In 2000, the conduct of OCC resumed in Camp Capinpin under the supervision of the Training and Doctrine Command, Philippine Army.

In 2001, Filipino graduates of officer candidate and officer cadet trainings from Australia, India, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom were officially integrated to the Philippine Army Officer Candidate School Alumni Association. At present, the OCC is being conducted at the Officer Candidate School, Training and Doctrine Command, Philippine Army; at the Philippine Air Force Aviation Officer Candidate School, Air Education and Training Command, Philippine Air Force; and at the Naval Education and Training Command, Philippine Navy.

Motto

Valor, Integrity and Duty.

Officer Candidate Honor Code

"An Officer Candidate does not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate among us those who do."

Officer Candidate School Hymn

Hail to thy OCS,Oh! Hail to thee.With loyal hearts to homage we,tried through the years we come today.Pray God to lead our way,Thy sons in meekness bow their heads.With faces up, we stand to sing,Oh! Hail to thy name OCS.Hail to thy OCS,Oh! Hail to thee.Our beacon thy wisdom shall be,As light to guide us on our way.Wherever we shall be,And where the Lords of land and sea.Call us to heaven, still we'll sing,Oh! Hail to thy name . . . OCS.

Training Sites

* Officer Candidate Course, Officer Candidate School, TRADOC, PA, Camp O'Donnell, Capas, Tarlac.
* Aviation Officer Candidate Course, Philippine Air Force Aviation Officer Candidate School, AETC, PAF, Fernando Air Base, Lipa City, Batangas.
* Naval Officer Candidate Course, Naval Education and Training Command, PN, San Antonio, Zambales.

References

* [http://www.army.mil.ph/Tradoc_latest/index.html OCS History]

External links

* [http://www.afp.mil.ph/ Armed Forces of the Philippines official website]
* [http://www.army.mil.ph/ Philippine Army official website]
* [http://www.paf.mil.ph/ Philippine Air Force official website]
* [http://www.navy.mil.ph/ Philippine Navy official website]
* [http://www.srcafpocsaai.org/ SRC/AFPOCS Alumni Association Incorporated official website]