Initial Training

• Training for many Marine officers begins even before they're commissioned as such. Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, can elect to serve in the Marines. They then undergo their initial training while students. Other prospective Marine officers may do so while in college. They're members of a college's Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) unit. Still others start by going through Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS), at Quantico, Virginia. All such training courses are arduous.
  
  

The Basic School

• After graduation from initial training, all Marine officers attend The Basic School (TBS) near Quantico. Marine lawyers and computer specialists attend TBS alongside future Marine infantry officers or naval aviators. This 26-week course is involved and teaches the science and art of being a Marine officer. Topics include weapons, leadership, tactics and even proper protocol. TBS is also where most officers choose their careers.
  
  

Traing at The Basic School

• Marine officers at TBS undergo nearly 1,600 hours of training. Of that, more than 650 hours is spent outdoors in the field. Training includes fire team and squad level tactical exercises. Eventually, students are taught to lead platoon-sized formations during conflict situations. Classroom training is complex. New officers engage in sand table exercises and tactical decision-making. Many students also select their military occupational specialty (MOS) at this time. Examples include aviation, infantry and logistics.
  
  

After The Basic School

• Once an officer successfully graduates from TBS, he goes on to career-specific training. This usually involves one or more schools of varying lengths. One example is the 10-week-long Infantry Officers Course at the Marine Corps Base at Quantico. All will have their attendance at TBS as a common bond, though.
  
  

Expert Insight

• A Marine officer can expect to be offered numerous training opportunities. Most are known as professional military education, These are both formal and informal in nature. For example, there are reading lists of recommended books to complete. There are also career-enhancing educational opportunities. These are offered in order to help advancement through the ranks. The Marine Corps, in fact, places a high value on ensuring it has an extremely well-trained and educated officer corps.