The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly
commissioned and appointed (for
warrant officers
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the most ...
)
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines". The Basic School is located at Camp Barrett,
Quantico, Virginia
Quantico ( or ; formerly Potomac) is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, DC, bordered by the Potomac River to the east ...
, in the south-west of the
Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southeaster ...
complex. Each year over 1,700 new officers are trained, representing such commissioning sources as the
U.S. Naval Academy,
Navy ROTC (Marine Option),
Officer Candidates School, and Marine Corps
Limited Duty Officer
A limited duty officer (LDO) is an officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who was selected for commissioning based on skill and expertise. They are the primary manpower source for technically specific billets not best s ...
(LDO) and
Warrant Officer
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...
accession programs.
Philosophy of instruction at TBS
The School's "Five Horizontal Themes" define the expectations of every student officer at TBS. These themes are:
*A Leader of Exemplary Character
**Has a clear understanding that a Marine commission brings with "special trust and confidence" and the highest expectations of the American people.
**Devoted to the Core Values of Honor, Courage and Commitment
**Possesses a
moral compass
A moral (from Latin ''morālis'') is a message that is conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader, or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim. A ...
that unerringly points to "do the right thing" – an ethical warrior
![Gen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Gen._Amos_speaks_to_Lieutenants_at_TBS.jpg)
*Devoted to Leading Marines and Sailors 24/7
**Embraces the "exceptional and unremitting" responsibility to one's Marines and their families
**Inspire and instill confidence in his/her Marines during times of adversity
**Adheres to and enforces standards regardless of time of day, location or duty status
**Treats all Marines and Sailors with dignity and respect
**Dedicated to a lifetime of study and learning about the profession of
arms
Arms or ARMS may refer to:
*Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body
Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to:
People
* Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader
Coat of arms or weapons
*Armaments or weapons
**Fi ...
![Gen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Gen._Paxton_at_The_Basic_School.jpg)
*Able to Decide, Communicate, and Act in the fog of war
**Can think critically and arrive at an acceptable decision based on sound tactical thinking within their commander's intent
**Communicates clearly both orally and in writing in tactical and administrative situations with emphasis on issuing clear, meaningful orders and guidance
**Have a bias for action – seizes the initiative and acts instead of waiting for the perfect sight picture or direction from higher
**Once action is initiated, acts with boldness and determination
*A Warfighter Who Embraces Our Naval Character and the Corps' warrior ethos
**A competent combat leader, grounded in the basic infantry skills, and characterized by sound judgment and aggressiveness in execution
**Educated in the fundamentals of maneuver warfare, tactics, combined arms, and the time-tested principles of battle
**Maintains an offensive mindset throughout – proactive, not reactive
*Mentally Strong and Physically Tough
**Imbued with a warrior spirit and able to thrive in a complex and chaotic environment and persevere despite the obstacles to mission accomplishment
**Possesses the self-discipline to push past preconceived limits
Courses conducted at TBS
Basic Officer Course (BOC)
Introduction and background
After earning a commission, new Marine
Second Lieutenants (Unrestricted
Line Officer
In the United States Armed Forces, a line officer or officer of the line is a U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps commissioned officer or warrant officer who exercises general command authority and is eligible for operational command positions, as o ...
Marine lieutenants) complete the Officer Basic Course prior to beginning their job specialization (
Military Occupational Speciality, or MOS) training to prepare them for service in the Marine Corps at large (
Fleet Marine Force
The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are combined general- and special-purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment. The Flee ...
or other operating forces assignments). The majority of Marine Corps officers are commissioned through the
USMC Officer Candidate School (OCS), but many are also graduates of the
U.S. Naval Academy, or other
service academies who choose to commission with the Marine Corps instead. Restricted Line/Limited Duty Officers are direct commissioned from the chief warrant officer ranks as either a first lieutenant or captain and do not attend BOC; however, as warrant officers, they have already completed the WOBC at TBS prior to beginning their officer service in the operating forces.
Most officers attend BOC as a second lieutenant immediately after commissioning at OCS or within a few months of graduation and commissioning from either the USNA or an NROTC program. Some newly commissioned officers may serve a short period of time in an interim assignment (such as an assistant athletic coach at the USNA) before beginning TBS/BOC. A few officers attend BOC as a first lieutenant because they were commissioned through the
Platoon Leaders Class
The United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates School (OCS) is a training regiment designed to screen and evaluate potential Marine Corps Officers. Those who successfully complete the period of instruction are commissioned as Second Lieutenan ...
(PLC Law) program, which permits them to attend law school as second lieutenants and then attend TBS/BOC after promotion to first lieutenant upon receiving their law degree. In very rare cases, an officer who receives an initial commission in another branch of the US armed forces, and who has already been promoted to first lieutenant, may receive an interservice transfer to the Marine Corps and attend TBS as a first lieutenant.
Course overview
The Officer Basic Course currently lasts 28 weeks, during which new officers receive classroom, field, and practical application training on
weapon
A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...
s,
tactics
Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to:
* Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks
** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield
** Chess tactics
** Political tact ...
,
leadership
Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets view ...
and protocol. The course is split into three graded categories:, Leadership, Academics, and Military Skills. Much like OCS, graded events are split between events that are graded, and events that must be passed. Events that must be passed are the 15 mile hike, all three exams, the Endurance Course, Final Land Navigation, Night Land Navigation, and Rifle and Pistol Qualification. Events that simply are given a grade are the 3, 6, 9, and 12 mile hikes, leadership billets in
field exercises, and various decision making exercises.
Classroom events include topic specific lectures, exams,
tactical decision games (TDGs), sand table exercises (STEXs),
decision-forcing cases, and small group discussions. There are various field events, beginning with
fireteam
A fireteam or fire team is a small military sub-subunit of infantry designed to optimize " bounding overwatch" and " fire and movement" tactical doctrine in combat. Depending on mission requirements, a typical fireteam consists of four or f ...
and squad level, and progressing to platoon-reinforced and company-sized events. The field events consist of realistic
blank-fire training and
live fire
Black MIDI is a music genre consisting of compositions that use MIDI files to create a song or a remix containing a large number of notes. People who make black MIDIs are known as blackers. However, there are no specific criteria of what is cons ...
ranges.
=Phases of instruction
=
*Phase I (7 Weeks): Individual Skills
**Leadership
**Rifle and Pistol Qualification
**Land Navigation
**Communications
**Combat Lifesaving
**
MCMAP
The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP, ) is a combat system developed by the United States Marine Corps to combine existing and new hand-to-hand and close quarters combat techniques with morale and team-building functions and instructio ...
*Phase II (6 Weeks): Rifle Squad Leader Skills
**Decision-making
**Combined Arms
**Rifle Squad Tactics/Weapons
**Scouting and Patrolling
*Phase III (6 Weeks): Rifle Platoon Commander Skills
**Rifle Platoon Tactics
**Convoy Operations
**Engineering
**
Crew-served weapons
*Phase IV (7 Weeks): Basic MAGTF Officer Skills
**Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain, or MOUT
**Rifle Platoon (REIN) Tactics
**Force Protection
**Expeditionary Operations (AMFEX/"War")
**Legal/Platoon Cmdr's Admin
MOS selection and post BOC training and assignments
Throughout the Program of Instruction (POI), Marines in each training company are split into thirds according to their combined scores of Leadership, Military Skills, and Academics. Each Marine ranks each specialization, or MOS, according to their preference, and each third is allocated an equal proportion of each specialization according to the Marine Corps' needs. Each third is independent of the others, so the top of the bottom third of placement is nearly as likely to get the specialization that they want as the top of the other two thirds. Throughout the POI, each Marine will have the opportunity to select which specialization they prefer in a mock-draft like setting, selecting what they prefer from what is leftover according to their grade placement in their third. Using these mock-drafts and listed preferences as reference, company staff then goes through each student and bestows upon them a specialization. This lottery system, however, does not apply to those Marines who signed air contracts to become pilots or law contracts to become legal officers.
Following the Basic Officer Course, the officer will attend one or more additional schools to be trained in their
specialty, and then assigned to a unit in the
Fleet Marine Force
The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are combined general- and special-purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment. The Flee ...
or other operating forces of the Marine Corps (e.g.,
Marine Barracks, Washington, DC, Marine Corps
Chemical Biological Incident Response Force
The Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF) is a unit in the United States Marine Corps responsible for countering the effects of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive (CBRNE) incident. They were activ ...
,
Marine Corps Security Force Regiment
The Marine Corps Security Force Regiment is a dedicated security and anti-terrorism unit of the United States Marine Corps. It provides security forces to guard high-value naval installations, most notably those containing nuclear vessels and w ...
, or the
Marine Corps Embassy Security Group.
Warrant Officer Basic Course (WOBC)
Marine
warrant officers
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the most ...
attend a 16-week training regime similar in scope and instruction to the 28-week course required of
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
s, which is shortened due to prior experience possessed by the newly appointed warrant officers. They are assigned to India Company at Camp Barrett.
An enlisted Marine can apply for the warrant officer program after serving at least eight years of enlisted service, and reaching the grade of E-5 (
Sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
) for the administrative warrant officer program. For the
Marine Warrant Officer (Gunner) program, a Marine must have at least sixteen years of enlisted service in an infantry MOS. This requirement is waived for those holding rank of
Gunnery Sergeant for a minimum of one year prior to applying for the weapons warrant officer program.
Sergeants or Staff
NCOs
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
who are selected are given additional leadership and management training during the Warrant Officer Basic Course.
[General Emphasizes Leadership at Warrant Officer Commissioning](_blank)
2nd Lt. Patrick Boyce, 8 February 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
Infantry Officer Course (IOC)
Graduates of the BOC who are selected for an infantry MOS remain at TBS for the fifteen-week Infantry Officer Course. This course was just extended from twelve weeks to better develop the infantry officers. During this program lieutenants receive intensive classroom instruction, practical experience, and field training in crew-served weapons, patrolling, and reconnaissance to ensure that they are MOS qualified for all of the infantry platoon commander billets, in addition to the rifle platoon, within a Marine infantry battalion. The other infantry billets are: rifle company weapons platoon (i.e., crew-served weapons) commander, as well as commander of one of the three heavy-weapons platoons (viz., 81mm mortar, antiarmor, and heavy machine gun) of the infantry battalion weapons company. Infantry officers may seek to compete for a tour as a reconnaissance platoon commander after serving an initial tour with an infantry unit.
Officers selected to serve in a
Light Armored Reconnaissance
The United States Marine Corps Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalions, or LAR Battalions, are fast and mobilized armored terrestrial reconnaissance units that conduct reconnaissance-in-force (RIF) ahead of the battalion landing teams or divisio ...
(LAR) battalion complete an additional six-week LAR leaders course conducted at the
USMC School of Infantry.
"Mike" Company
Marines who first arrive from OCS or the USNA, or who are unable to complete the BOC, WOBC, or IOC for either failing one of the three graded categories or are significantly injured are sent to M Company, or "Mike Company." Marines in Mike Company provide support operations for companies that are actively training, as well as attend classes and physical events, until they can be given a new
USMC MOS if they come from IOC, or resume training if they have yet to complete WOBC or BOC. Mike Company also has Marines who graduated from BOC but are awaiting MOS school pickup.
See also
*
United States Marine Corps Boot Camp
United States Marine Corps Recruit Training (commonly known as "boot camp") is a 13-week program, including in & out-processing, of recruit training that each recruit must successfully complete in order to serve in the United States Marine Corps ...
*
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (often abbreviated as MCRD PI) is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. ...
*
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot (commonly referred to as MCRD) San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and th ...
Notes
References
:
;Web
*
Official Descriptions MOS's"The Basic School" ''The Making of a Marine Officer,'' MarineTimes.com.
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