School of Application
| Officer Candidates School | |
|---|---|
The OCS insignia
|
|
| Active | 1891 – present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Training |
| Role | Screen and evaluate officer candidates |
| Part of | Training and Education Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Quantico |
| Motto(s) |
"Ductus Exemplo" "Leadership by Example" |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Ahmed T. Williamson |
Located at Marine Corps Base Quantico, the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates School (OCS) is a physically demanding, mentally challenging training regimen designed to screen and evaluate potential Marine Corps Officers. The course is designed to create a controlled, challenging environment wherein the officer candidates are pushed to their physical and mental limits in order to screen their decision-making abilities while physically exhausted. Those who successfully complete the period of instruction earn the title United States Marine and are commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. Unlike the other United States military services, the majority of Marine Corps officers complete OCS to earn a commission; the exceptions are midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy , limited duty officers, and inter-service transfers. Additionally, OCS boasts an attrition rate of 30–50%.
Depending on the course, Officer Candidates go through either a 10-week (PLC Combined/OCC), or two 6-week courses (PLC) over separate summers, designed primarily to screen and evaluate candidates' fitness to lead Marines by placing them in leadership positions in a stressful environment. Students are evaluated during 2–3 day garrison command billets at the company and platoon level, and squad and fire-team level tactical billets during field exercises.
Prior to World War I, Marine officers came primarily from the Naval Academy, or were commissioned from the enlisted ranks. But as the Marine Corps expanded, it needed its own training pipeline for officers. OCS traces its roots to the "School of Application", established in 1891 in Washington, D.C. With the expansion of the Marine Corps for World War I, all instructional efforts were consolidated—first at Marine Corps Station, Philadelphia, then in 1940 at MCB Quantico, where they remain today.
OCS is currently located at Brown Field at Marine Corps Base Quantico. PLC Juniors was at Camp Upshur through 1987, but was subsequently consolidated with PLC Seniors at Brown Field.
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