Preparing for the Operating Forces
Recruit Training is just the start. It takes advanced instruction to become fully combat-ready and an expert in your role.
Sharpening Skill Through Additional Training
Becoming a Marine is just the beginning. From the Crucible of Recruit Training or Officer Candidates School, Marines go on to months of advanced instruction—each step designed to push them harder, think faster, and fight smarter.
Through this training Marines become proficient in their specific roles—from infantry to intelligence, aviation to artillery. Whether on the ground or in command, every Marine is combat trained and mission ready.
Prepared for the Fight. Trained to Win.
Before joining the Fleet Marine Force, every Marine must master the unforgiving training that transforms raw potential into elite warfighting skill.
The path to the Fleet Marine Force is paved with some of the most rigorous training in the world. Every Marine is a trained rifleman. Regardless of your Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), after combat training you’ll undergo advanced instruction designed to push your limits and sharpen your ability to lead, survive, and win in your specialty. These schools forge Marines with unmatched versatility, precision, and toughness—because only the most capable are trusted to fight for our nation.
School of Infantry (SOI)
Every Marine a Rifleman
All Marines are trained first and foremost as riflemen. The School of Infantry is where combat readiness begins—through live-fire exercises, tactical movements, and weapons mastery. SOI, located at Camp Geiger, North Carolina and Camp Pendleton, California, instills the skills, discipline, and mindset needed to close with and destroy the enemy—because every Marine, regardless of role, must be prepared to fight and win in any battle, anywhere in the world.
Learning to Lead the Fight
After earning their commission, Marine Officers undergo some of the most demanding leadership training in the military. At The Basic School, they learn to lead from the front—mastering small-unit tactics, decision-making under pressure, and the values that forge unbreakable unit cohesion. This is where officers develop the confidence, competence, and character to guide Marines through any mission, in any environment.
Specialized Officer Training
Marine Officers: Masters of Their Field
After The Basic School, Marine Officers undergo advanced training to hone their expertise.
Marine Officers don’t just lead—they become experts in their designated fields. After completing The Basic School, they attend specialized training schools that focus on the advanced skills required for their specific MOS. Whether in cyber, engineering, supply, or any other critical area, this training develops them into true authorities in their respective roles, ready to guide their Marines with unmatched proficiency.
These specialized schools push officers to achieve excellence in their craft, combining rigorous coursework, real-world application, and intense leadership challenges. Through this specialized training, Marine Officers gain the knowledge and experience necessary to lead with confidence, making critical decisions in high-pressure environments and executing missions with precision.
Ground
Lead Marines in Combat and Logistics
Lead missions on land with tactical precision
From tactical strategy to coordination in complex environments, ground officers ensure that combat forces are prepared and equipped for success.
Aviation
Command the Skies
Provide support from above
Aviation officers lead Marine pilots and air crews to provide air support for ground operations, transport critical supplies, and execute strategic air missions.
Cyber
Guard the Digital Frontlines
Cyber officers specialize in leading efforts in cybersecurity, information warfare, and defending digital assets.
Law
Provide Legal Expertise
Officers trained at the Naval Justice School handle military justice, advise on legal matters, and prosecute or defend cases under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
