Los Angeles, California. (July 24, 2024): There is no dispute that the United States Marines are the finest, and fiercest, sea-borne infantry in the world. Which begs the question, “what does it take to lead these warfighters?” In this photo by Corporal Fred Garcia, officer candidate Joshua McConnell gets pinned to the rank of second lieutenant during a commissioning ceremony aboard the USS Iowa. His gaze reflects the pride and determination that steadied him during the extremely arduous tasks it took to achieve this honor.

While a small percentage of Marine officers attend the U.S. Naval Academy, most are commissioned after they complete four years of college via the Marines Officer Candidate Course. This physically brutal ten-week commissioning program at Quantico, Virginia is for college seniors interested in earning the title of Marine Officer. Upon completion, the newly commissioned officer will attend the Basic School as a second lieutenant.

The Basic School is a six-month course of combat conditioning, close order drill, leadership, and academic classes to prepare these young lieutenants to assume the duties of a junior officer. They are evaluated in three categories: academics, leadership, and physical fitness. The curriculum includes an endurance course, a land navigation maneuver at night, rifle and pistol qualifications, and various decision-making exercises. In the field, students engage in realistic live fire exercises at the squad and platoon level.

In the classroom, students conduct sand table exercises, tactical decision games, decision forcing cases, and small group discussions. Interestingly, most courses are taught by seasoned enlisted personnel, often drawn from the ranks of the Drill Sergeant community. These veteran sergeants train over 1, 700 officers a year.

If they survive, these budding lieutenants will have proven they have what it takes to lead Marines.