The Marine Officer
The Marine officer is a slight bit different from the officers of other branches. The Marine officer is required to attend a college. Some officers will attend the Naval Academy. Others will attend and receive a degree in many different personally selected fields. The Marine mission to success relies heavily on the decisions made by Marine officers. They will inspire their Marines and have the decisiveness to prevail. These officers will fight shoulder to shoulder with the Marines they lead, instilled with the confidence to stand in front of and in charge of their Marine warriors.
Officer Role
These officers are commissioned by the president of the United States. They will gain leadership experience far greater than that of civilian peers or officers serving in other branches of the armed forces. They will lead Marines in selected MOS professions. They will lead, teach, and train marines to perform their duties at a very high level. They must be well organized, easily adaptable, open minded, but also sure, without doubt. They must possess uncommon foresight and the wisdom to know when to consult their superiors and their enlisted senior Marines for advice and assistance.
Where It All Begins
A Marine officer candidate will begin their Marine professional career at the Basic Officer Course in Quantico, VA. This is a challenging 6-month course. What the candidate will learn varies and begins with what all Marines are first: infantry. This school is more of a marathon and not a sprint. There will be lots of mistakes and even failures for all candidates. They won’t dwell on these; they will move forward. The material a candidate learns here will remain with them throughout their careers. They will strive to leave lasting impressions on their peers and platoon commanders. Once done at Quantico, they are off to a selected MOS school which will vary from infantry, to logistics aviation and even law to name a few. It is there that they will learn their MOS profession and advanced MOS education to lead Marines in their careers.
Permanent Duty
Once a Marine officer has completed all their required schools and training, they will be assigned a permanent duty station. This could be anywhere in the world or United States. They will normally report as lieutenant, but that will depend on their MOS and what their assignment will be. Most will be platoon leaders. They will immediately evaluate their Marines in physical fitness and MOS qualifications. They will work with senior enlisted to learn more about each Marine that has been assigned to them. They will attend weekly commander meetings and briefings learning all about the unit’s mission and task. They will learn additional skills to help themselves and their marines succeed. The strength of our nation will always depend on the Marines and the Marine Corps will always depend on the strength of its officers to lead Marines.
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