Accessing

I'm going to just try to answer this here in the questions I see but FAQ should not be a diabolical essay by essay rhetoric, clear concise questions and answers. This forums for more new members after all, putting out any drama out there is up to you but not necessarily helpful or inviting for more conversation.
I was wondering if we are going to take off the time requirements for promotions and go more merit based.
No, there is no discussion in removing time in position, time in rank, or time in clan requirements. If there are enlisted members that join and within 1-2 weeks want to do more than be an E1, it is their responsibility to volunteer to do jobs around the unit. Jobs will more than likely be available especially to those eager to do them. 
  Are we going to be rank locking people based off of position?
I'm not entirely sure what you are saying here so my best answer right now is No. Minimums are the best, at maximum it does not matter. A Major「Ｏ6」can lead his own squad. In your example, no if a Staff Sergeant meets his rank requirements he can get promoted. Better ways to check everyone have already been talked through, just not practice for whatever reason.
  Are we also only going to have limited spots per platoon and expand on a case by case basis and are we recruiting for your own squad or when we get a recruit are we throwing them into a pool of other recruits and they get slotted after BCT depending on what squad needs people that are active?
Long winded multi- questions, but a good one.

    Short answer   : Yes, Platoons have limited spots. Platoons are only going to grow when enough leaders show interest. As for recruiting we haven't discussed if there is going to be a "Training Battalion" or other formation before people join a unit. I think its a good idea but we simply have not talked about it enough to include it into ONI. It also comes with a logistical challenge that we just have not overcome in easier formations.

Long boring answer: Yes, Platoons have limited spots. Platoons and higher level organization are no longer going to have extra people without an assignment. Once a Platoon HQ is full the next Platoon is created or members move up to the Company HQ. Platoons are only going to grow when enough leaders show interest, but also when enough leaders are present. Recruit formations limit the mobility of actual units when we want to use members that want to participate in the community. It isolates the recruit from being a more valuable member and contributing from day 1 instead of day 30. The discovery of any recruit formation existing came up recently when looking at the Marine Corps Drill Instructor MOS. I think its something for discussion in how it can be implemented well but until those conversations happen the topic stands still as the current status quo.

Recruits, recruited into slots/billets that are open and train with their fire team and squad.

While this is a role play, the balance between fun inclusive community and realism to the virtual reality world we connect through vs. military simulation total organization rivaling current militarists is a constant contest. To what ONI is, a experience offered to members through our documentation driven community, its best to not over organize and prevent natural people and gamers just wanting to play together. How much do we want to organize for excellence, what exact training is there possible to make sure a member is ready. Some of these things weight differently to everyone and the most important part is realigning everyone to the same standard.  

I said before if you have a strong disposition, you can pretty much DM any officer with your proposition. The most important thing is elevator pitching your problem and bringing a solution to it. Otherwise simply writing to your officers may become annoying as they don't have the answers you want. We know this is a pressing problem where people are just tossing dirty laundry to officers but they can only do so much in capacity (especially for those that are further away from typical operations.) 
An example of that is pinging @Anna Richards whose current operations are covert, clandestine or espionage based. She won't be able to help with regular community events even though she's had experience before. 
With how things changed that gap only grows between your direct command and other officers so be smart about that. You have more power than you think you do, you just need to believe it. If you have a picture in mind you are the one that needs to paint the complete art of it to showcase it. 
Now to your question

OCS history.
OCS used to be a team based operational training a combination of SERES, ODST, SIII and added RTS elements. We were looking to simplify this and so @Gabriella Dvørakwas in charge of creating the OCS but failed to meet the deadlines set. She's been long demoted, severely but since the iteration of OCS you know we've probably had it two more times on the basis of the leadership test we used to give on the old website. Around 18 questions about . Because of the strain on assets, timing of everything most that can host are too busy or scheduling is too far apart (i.e. you would do initiation one day and than wait two weeks for another part of OCS.) Leadership theory is also taught as well as game theory so that's fun. I'm not sure if you are familiar but TRADOC was created so we can all rotate in and out of staff to be available to host these events. 
Since TRADOC's creation the focus has been UCMB over OCS, but as many are again busy in their personal lives we decided altogether to exempt the requirements until we can fully host those again. This is something straight from a post by @ADM S Osman herself, most of us signed on it and agreed to it a long time ago. 
 
 
1. The clan dying is dramatic conclusion to what you read and see. Stop acting like this, you only become apart of the problem here pushing a wedge between you and ranked officers. Since no one wants to associate themselves with pessimism. You guys create these glass ceilings for yourselves if you stop reading what's been updated. 
2. As I mentioned OCS, Infantry School, Naval Academy and most of the auxiliary training we exempted from requirements. The only ones still going on is the SIV SQT & SERE's that I know off the top of my head. The exemption was made nearly a year ago. You can check the ranking system threads and see that most of it is  crossed through like this  that means it is not an active requirement. SO It is actually possible to become an officer without doing OCS. if you progressed through the ranks. 
3. You bought an access code to something else. If it isn't obvious we have lots of growing pains and people who poke at new stuff won't get anything out of it since its not fully completed. PERSCOM, Applications and Access codes are one of the common areas that are not complete. Boo hoo, once it's available you have an access code. IT's nothing to cry about. 

Sorry no one has gotten to you in all this time.
1. If you don't have an answer for this, it can be left just N/A typically if you are not UNSC military personnel, enlisted you won't have a CO
2. The roles and operations are detailed in the answers if its confusing it might not be for you, they are all role playing engaged activities
3. A raid is a meta-game players in clans play, where a custom forged map designed as a clans base is defended or attacked. Winner is decided through rules known as ROE.
4. This is what it is to you, can be answered anyway you want
5. No your candidate name is any name you use, it'll be your characters name. ONI uses your gamer tag typically as your characters name.
6. Yes
 

Short Answer, no I did not really go over any of the requirements in the same format as everything else.
Long Answer,
BERETS (GREEN BERETS)
Counter-insurgency specialty to infiltrate and/or provide Foreign Internal Defense (FID) only within a context of host-halo clans (HC) with aide to internal defense and development (IDAD), where it can be a force multiplier to clan leaders and load balancing activities. ONI priority with Beret's are only in the responsibilities of information operations and security. Beret's are dual hatted as top ONI Security personnel and operations expand beyond Halo: Reach area of operations.

A requirement will probably be some base level of communications intelligence as Beret's are going to fulfill and compete with the pseudo-ONI task force people that help smaller clans as such they're technically a special forces liaison in another clan as ONI. This is very fluid.  
AIRBORNE
Direct Action specialty to perform raids. Given raiding priority in the UNSC Army and to all UNSC Army forces before Orbital Drop Shock Trooper Divisions. Airborne is a milestone to Orbital Drop Shock Troopers with a specialization of Halo: Reach core game mechanics. Airborne are also not a shared unit that can be reassigned to another area of operation and practice combat search & rescue with signed role playing parties. Airborne is the raid-ready line up of all Army units. 

Basically this is the Raid ready force that is solely for the Army. The requirement is pretty much chosen from leadership who is on the raid line up. This should be prioritized over  ODST forces that are also shared with the rest of ONI. To visualize it, I just did so

"ONI RAID PRIORITY/ARMY"
Think of this as the line up anytime we schedule a raid in ONI. IN UNIT
We schedule a raid specific to a Army unit AIRBORNE ARMY ODST MARINES
  OUT OF UNIT
We schedule a raid non-specific to a unit (We are challenged to a Raid) ODST SPARTAN-II SPARTAN-III MARSOC AIRBORN/RANGERS ARMY MARINES NAVY ANYONE WHOSE ONLINE  
Oath to Secrecy is a sign off that you read and acknowledge, while also having been recorded reading it too.
 

It is by default a positive performance review, so any deeds/recommendations/recognition you would get is a promotion unless it's specified in the demotion itself. Performance Review is usually done on the spot and by discretion of any officer, it is a straightforward what they think of you and how well you are doing. How well you are is measured usually by reports, posts or attitude. It is also done monthly on whatever date you were demoted on.  

Right now that is an only admin thing, I don't know if we really want to implement cR exchange between members though until the store matures a bit. 

Yes.