Quantico, Va. -- Enlisted Marines from Marine Forces Reserve participated in the Summer Officer Tour to gain insight into the journey of becoming a Marine Corps officer, Aug. 19-21, 2021. The tour included visits to Officer Candidates School (OCS), The Basic School (TBS), Marine Corps University, The National Museum of The Marine Corps, and Marine Barracks Washington to showcase significant milestones in a Marine Corps officer's career while allowing participants to engage in discussions with senior leaders, peers and recently commissioned Marines. This tour was intended to give enlisted Marines a clear look at the process of commissioning and opportunities within the officer ranks that are attainable for them.
“This was a great opportunity for Marines to see behind the curtain,” said Sgt. Maj. Carlos A. Ruiz, Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces South Sergeant Major. “Maybe they had thought about it before and they were afraid of what OCS or TBS would bring, now they get to see behind the scenes and say ‘hey, this is what it is, maybe I can do it, one day I can become a lieutenant, a captain, a colonel. It’s provided an opportunity to let them see it and let them dream big.”
Marines participating in the tour were identified as high performing leaders within their respective units and good candidates to consider taking on additional challenges.
“As an enlisted Marine, my view is this is my Marine Corps,” said Sgt. Jennifer Larson, Battery P, 5th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment. “I have ownership of it, in order to be a good leader and see the changes I want made, I need to transition to the officer side.”
Commander of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces South, Lt. Gen. David G. Bellon led the effort to ensure talent management within the ranks pushes the Marine Corps to meet the future operational environment.
“Force Design 2030 is a concerted effort to design a force to meet future threats; our approach is always Marines first, platforms and systems second,” Bellon said. “This [Summer Officer Tour] is a concerted effort to look within our own force to find unique potential who might develop into senior leaders that can help us fight and win our nation’s battles.”
“Going on something like the Summer Officer Tour is a motivating experience for enlisted Marines.”1st Lt. Gregory Dreibelbis , Communication Strategy and Operations, MARFORRES
While visiting OCS, Marines had an opportunity to explore some of the events that play a factor in how candidates are evaluated including the Small Unit Leadership Evaluation (SULE) exercise and the Endurance Course. The Marines also took part in a terrain model exercise during a tour of The Basic School. The table-top exercise gave participants a chance to get hands on and lead their peers the same way a newly commissioned officer would.
“Going on something like the Summer Officer Tour is a motivating experience for enlisted Marines” said 1st Lt. Gregory Dreibelbis, a former enlisted Marine who served as a subject matter expert during the tour. “Being able to see behind the curtain and getting a glimpse of what goes on at OCS, TBS and some of the other significant sites in the career of an officer can be a good experience. It really gives you a look at what it would be like as an officer.”
Before the events concluded, Marines gave feedback to the creators of the tour to ensure similar opportunities would not only be possible but would get better with each iteration of the Summer Officer Tour.
Enlisted Marines Experience What it Takes to Become a Marine Officer
Photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley Corbo
“I would absolutely recommend this tour to someone,” said Larson. “I really hope to see this continue and that it's not just a one-time thing. Seeing where candidates train has really shown me what it takes to become an officer and the tour really showed me what opportunities I have to have a successful career.”
According to Bellon, Marines walked away better educated and motivated to achieve personal goals that in the end make the Marine Corps a more lethal, capable force for the country.
“The service of the Marine Corps wins battles with Marines first” said Bellon. “Those leaders must be reflective of the broad perspectives that exist within the American culture. That same broad perspective inspires the tactical level of intimacy in small units and that is exactly how we win fights.”