The Diverse and Demanding Marine Corps Basic School at Quantico: Preparing Future Leaders for Combat Scenarios

At Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, the Basic School is a challenging seven-month program that prepares newly commissioned second lieutenants for leadership roles in the future. This rigorous training pushes officers to their limits physically, academically, and tactically. As chief video correspondent Graham Flanagan spent five days inside The Basic School, he observed five different companies in various stages of training.

Throughout their time at The Basic School, Marine Corps officers are trained to lead enlisted Marines in combat scenarios. They take on the roles of enlisted Marines to gain firsthand experience in the tasks they will later delegate to their subordinates. The climax of this intense training is The War, where students are divided into opposing forces and must strategically battle to seize and defend a city.

What sets The Basic School apart is its diversity in attendance, with American service members joining officers from countries like Greece, the Bahamas, and the Netherlands. This international perspective adds a unique dimension to the training program, offering insights into the comprehensive preparation that new Marine Corps officers undergo as they prepare to lead their fellow Marines in the field.