TBS Phase I and II Recap
The following information provides a quick overview of some events that will be encountered during Phase I and II of The Basic School (TBS).
The Basic School MCMAP Week
For those of you unfamiliar with the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP), there are three belts that each require you to learn and perfect a series of progressively more difficult techniques. All Marines upon graduating from TBS on the officer side and Recruit Training on the enlisted side have earned their first one: Tan Belt. The instructors during MCMAP week are NCOs from the Martial Arts Center of Excellence (MACE), which is located on the TBS campus. Every day [...]
Range Week At The Basic School
Range week is about a 3-week phase of instruction that comes right after your first slew of basic classes (those last about a week or two), the first major exam, and right before MCMAP week. As the name implies, the ultimate objective of range week is to make you proficient at marksmanship with the M-16 service rifle and the M9 service pistol. It's much more than that though, and it will be amongst the most demanding weeks of your [...]
OCS Night Land Navigation. Tips To Get You A Perfect Score.
Night land navigation is an important event at Marine OCS. It makes up 5% of the 25% academic grade (i.e., 5% of your total OCS grade). There is going to be at least one practice round so don't worry too much if you aren't confident in this area. Candidates will be able to get the help they need from instructors to be successful with this. Here is a simple diagram showing how the course is setup. Every candidate is given [...]
Connecting Fitness and Leadership. An OCS Perspective
Physical fitness and leadership are interconnected in more ways than can be written. On paper, leadership accounts for 50% of candidates' overall grade while physical fitness makes up 25%. The reality is that the two categories of evaluation and not separable. Physical fitness will play an important role when it comes to proving your leadership ability. It should come as no surprise that Officer Candidates School tests for leadership competency in the midst of stressful and physically intense environments. Maintaining [...]