HOW TO COMMISSION AS A MARINE OFFICER
AN EXCLUSIVE CHARGE. A COLLECTIVE PURPOSE.
This Nation places its trust in its Marines to achieve victory on every front. To stand out in front of them is the exclusive charge and critical responsibility of every Marine Officer. By bringing strategy and the will of our Nation to every battlefield, it is our officers who can be turned to for accountable leadership, decisiveness, and judgment. Earning the honor of a Marine commission and wearing the mark of a Marine Officer means ensuring the success of our missions and the well-being of our Marines.
CAPT GOLINO, OFFICER SELECTION OFFICER
Marines are leaders who defy the opposition with resilience and the will to win. It was Captain Golino’s fighting spirit that once pushed her to overcome barriers on the football field—and these challenges would ultimately prepare her for the Marine Corps. Now, she uses that same determination to fight our Nation’s battles and find the next generation of leaders as an Officer Selection Officer.
PATHS TO LEADERSHIP
Not everyone has the willingness and determination, the judgment and the leadership, or the mindset and the skillset to stand out in front of our Nation as an officer of Marines. Those who think they may will find out quickly at Officer Candidates School (OCS), where success is only achieved by giving everything you have.
The process of becoming a Marine Officer begins with your application as an Officer Candidate submitted by the Officer Selection Officer (OSO). The specific training path you will follow depends on where you are in your college education, your qualifications, and your occupational specialty preferences.
The two most common paths to becoming a Marine Officer are the Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) and the Officer Candidate Course (OCC).
PLATOON LEADERS CLASS
The Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) undergraduate commissioning program allows college students who are currently enrolled full time in any accredited college or university to pursue a commission in the Marine Corps without interrupting academic careers. PLC is the most common path to becoming one of us and all training sessions take place in Quantico, VA. This path has two training options:
Two six-week summer training sessions for college freshman and sophomores
One ten-week training session for college juniors
OFFICER CANDIDATE COURSE
OCC is a 10-week commissioning program in Quantico, VA for college seniors and graduates interested in earning the title as a United States Marine Officer. Upon completion, newly commissioned Marine Officers will begin active duty at The Basic School (TBS) as Second Lieutenants.
OATH OF OFFICE
“I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So, help me God.”
INITIAL REQUIREMENTS
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Pursuing and achieving a commission in the United States Marine Corps requires more than a simple willingness—it requires an unwavering commitment to a purpose greater than self. When you become a Marine Officer, you fight with the trust of a Nation, to win on its behalf, and to prevail for its beliefs. Those who possess the grit and the leadership to make sound decisions that break through the noise of battle will discover their own purpose lies in the purpose of our entire Nation.
For nearly two and a half centuries, it has been our Marine Officers who have earned a storied reputation finding extraordinary ways of achieving critical victories. What is just as exceptional as the fights Marine Officers lead is the common cause that lives on the nametape above the left breast pocket of every Marine Officer. Not the one that identifies the fighter, but the one that identifies our country and its ideals. Not just Marine Officers, but United States Marine Officers.
TRAINING IN THE CANDIDATE POOL PROGRAM
We were not made into Marine Officers overnight. It was a journey that began with our Officer Selection Team ensuring we were ready for the battles ahead. If you are seeking a role within our officer ranks, the Candidate Pool Program will expose you to the physical, mental and academic challenges that must be overcome to succeed at Officer Candidates School. In this program, officer prospects will work together with candidates who are already partially trained and Marine Officers who are fully trained but awaiting selection or specific assignments. The Candidate Pool Program can be your first exposure to the sense of belonging that develops between those who fight for a common cause together.
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