When do you go to OCS in the USMC and how long do you go for each commissioning program, including those enlisted to officer programs?
See: Marine Commissioning Programs - USMC OFFICERShort answer: all Marine officers (except those commissioned from a Service Academy • a couple hundred per year, and almost all will be from the Naval Academy • or who are accepted as an “interservice transfer” after commissioning in another Service • about 2 per year) will go thru Marine OCS.Longer Answer:Some will not go thru Marine OCS at all:Any officer commissioned from any Federal Service Academy (every cadet or midshipman can request to be commissioned in a different Service from their Academy, but their Service and the gaining Service must agree, and the total numbers are quite small • something like not more than 2% of all Academy graduates in any given year can “cross-commission” into another Service. A “cross-commissioned” officer from any Federal Service Academy will NOT attend USMC OCS…but the selection and approval process used by the USMC will rigorously examine all aspects of that officer’s character, experience, performance, and will reject anyone that they don’t think meets the same bar as a Naval Academy graduate). No Federal Service Academy graduate who is commissioned into the USMC is required to complete any flavor or length of Marine OCS.US Naval AcademyUS Military AcademyUS Air Force AcademyUS Coast Guard AcademyUS Merchant Marine Academy.No “inter-service” transfer of any officer commissioned by any branch of the Armed Forces, at any grade, will be required to complete Marine OCS. (As for “cross-commissioned” officers from an Academy into the USMC, the screening and approval process for these officers is very rigorous…there are very few applications, and of those, very few are approved…typically only a couple per year, and they are often prior-Marine officers who subsequently joined another Service such as the Army and are asking to come back “home.”)Inter-service transfers are approved by both the “losing” Service, and the “gaining” Service, if either says no, then the deal is off.An officer who is approved for inter-service transfer will have a date set, that is agreeable to both Services involved (and maybe even the officer, too!), and at midnight on that date, the officer’s commission will seamlessly convert from one Service to another. They will go bed as a full commissioned officer in one Service, and wake up after midnight as a full commissioned officer in another Service.The gaining Service determines what grade the officer will have, how much seniority within that grade they will have, what occupational specialty (MOS in the Army and Marines) they will have, whether they require advanced or remedial training in that MOS, where they will serve their first duty station, etc.All officers who accept inter-service commission into the USMC will be ordered to attend the 6-month Basic Officer Course (better known as “The Basic School,” or TBS) in Quantico, VA, as their first duty station, before they do anything else or go anywhere else. After TBS, they will be ordered into whatever MOS the USMC requires, wherever they require it, as “good of the Corps.” (They do try to take into consideration previous skills, especially law degrees and aviation qualifications, but those are NOT guarantees…the Corps only guarantees an officer to serve according to “the needs of the Corps.” I.e., wherever they want you.)Some will go thru a single 6 week OCS (NROTC Marine-option).This is usually scheduled in the summer between the junior and senior years of college, and upon completion the midshipman returns to their NROTC program and college to complete their senior year, graduate with their degree, and be commissioned into the USMC.Failure to complete OCS for any reason other than a relatively minor medical issue typically results in a process resulting in disenrollment from NROTC, possible recoupment of all $$$ the NROTC program spent on behalf of the midshipman up to that point, possible required enlisted service for a specified number of years of active duty in either the USNR or the USMCR, or in some cases, transfer to a Navy-option (if the NROTC decides the midshipman has potential to serve as a Navy officer but for some reason was disqualified from Marine service).Some will go thru two separate (usually two consecutive summers) 6 week OCS: “PLC Junior and PLC Senior.”Typically, PLC Junior will be the summer between the sophomore and junior years, and PLC Senior will the summer between the junior and senior years (hence their names…Junior and Senior).Failure to complete OCS for any reason other than a relatively minor medical issue typically results in a process resulting in disenrollment from PLC, possible recoupment of $$$ the PLC program spent on behalf of the candidate up to that point, possible required enlisted service for a specified number of years of active duty in the USMCR.Some will go thru a single 10 week OCS (Officer Candidate Course [OCC], some PLC [as the PLC Combined Course], MECEP, ECP, RECP, MCP-R).OCC is for a civilian to go directly to a commission as an officer of Marines.After approval of all qualifying requirements, the candidate is enlisted for an 8-year Military Service Obligation (MSO), and given a date to begin the 10 week OCS.Graduation from OCS = immediate commissioning into the USMC as an officer.Failure from OCS = typically, release from active duty and either complete discharge from all MSO or perhaps some combination of voluntary/involuntary enlisted service in the USMCR.Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) requires the completion of 10 week OCS before the enlisted Marine is allowed to transfer to their college to begin their undergraduate studies.Only prior-enlisted Marines can apply for MECEP, and it is highly competitive.MECEP Marines remain on active duty, as enlisted Marines, and will continue to be eligible for promotions until they are commissioned after completing their baccalaureate degrees.MECEP Marines will join a NROTC program at their college, and will in fact be de facto staff members, expected to set the example and teach various subjects to the other midshipmen, prepare them for their own OCS experience, and more.Failure at OCS = generally, since they remain enlisted Marines, as long as the failure was not for a serious medical condition, or egregious honor violation, or something disciplinary, it is understood that OCS is outrageously difficult…so most other enlisted Marines don’t hold a plain inability to complete OCS against the Marine. And since 2022. when the USMC began sending “to-be-MECEPs” to OCS before they begin college, if they fail for simple reasons or a medical problem, they will just be returned to their previous Marine unit to carry on with their enlisted career. It’s possible they may apply again, if their failure was for a minor reason, and they can convince the MECEP selection board they should get another chance, or perhaps they’ll become a warrant officer instead.Enlisted Commissioning Program (ECP) is for enlisted Marines only.They must already have an undergraduate degree before they apply for ECP.They must complete a 10 week OCS, and will then be commissioned as Marine officers.Failure at OCS = generally, return to their previous enlisted unit and specialty, and carry on with their enlisted life. Unless the failure was for a serious medical condition, or egregious honor violation, or something disciplinary, it is understood that OCS is outrageously difficult…so most other enlisted Marines don’t hold a plain inability to pass it against the enlisted Marine. It’s possible they may apply again, if their failure was for a minor reason, and they can convince the ECP selection board they should get another chance, or perhaps they’ll continue as active duty (or perhaps eventually reserve) enlisted Marines, becoming a Staff NCO, or perhaps they’ll continue as reserve enlisted Marines, becoming a Staff NCO, or perhaps becoming a warrant officer instead.Reserve Enlisted Commissioning Program (RECP) is for currently serving reserve enlisted Marines with a college degree.Upon selection by the RECP board, the Marine will be ordered to active duty to complete a 10 week OCS.Graduation = immediate commissioning as a reserve officer of Marines, with a reserve drilling unit service obligation after they complete their Initial Active Duty Training obligations (TBS, then MOS school, then any other required courses for their intended MOS and billet). Then they report to whatever reserve unit (not necessarily the same as the one they came from…) they will serve in, and are separated from active duty status, and begin serving their reserve obligation of a minimum of one weekend per month and 2 weeks per year for up to 6 years.Essentially, this program takes a very competitive, highly qualified enlisted reserve Marine with a college degree, sends them to OCS, and upon graduation, commissions them as a reserve officer, and trains them, and then sends them to serve according to the needs of the Corps in a Marine reserve unit for 6 years…but as an officer of Marines.Failure to complete OCS = similar to ECP, since no prior funds were used to subsidize any education for the Marine, if they fail OCS for a minor reason such as medical, etc., they will simply return to their previous enlisted reserve status, in their same reserve unit, and continue with their reserve career. They might be allowed to try again, if they reapply and have a really good package to overcome their previous failure…or perhaps they’ll continue as reserve enlisted Marines, becoming a Staff NCO, or perhaps becoming a warrant officer instead.Meritorious Commissioning Program-Reserve (MCP-R) is for extremely well qualified reserve enlisted Marines who already have at least 2 years of college.Upon selection to MCP-R, the reserve Marine will be ordered to active duty to complete a 10 week OCS.Upon completion, they will immediately be commissioned as reserve officers of Marines with a reserve drilling unit service obligation after they complete their Initial Active Duty Training obligations (TBS, then MOS school, then any other required courses for their intended MOS and billet). Then they report to whatever reserve unit (not necessarily the same as the one they came from…) they will serve in, and are separated from active duty status, and begin serving their reserve obligation of a minimum of one weekend per month and 2 weeks per year for up to 6 years.Essentially, this program takes a very competitive, highly qualified enlisted reserve Marine with at least two years of college credits, sends them to OCS, and upon graduation, commissions them as a reserve officer, and trains them, and then sends them to serve according to the needs of the Corps in a Marine reserve unit for 6 years…but as an officer of Marines. But unlike RECP, where the officer already has a college degree, the MCP-R officer does not have a college degree…and they must get one…quickly, because they cannot be considered for promotion to Captain/O-3 unless they have a baccalaureate degree. And the USMC isn’t going to prany extra funds beyond the reserve paycheck for drill weekends for the reserve MCP-R officer.Failure to complete OCS = similar to RECP, since no prior funds were used to subsidize any education for the Marine, if they fail OCS for a minor reason such as medical, etc., they will simply return to their previous enlisted reserve status, in their same reserve unit, and continue with their reserve career. They might be allowed to try again, if they reapply and have a really good package to overcome their previous failure…or perhaps they’ll continue as reserve enlisted Marines, becoming a Staff NCO, or perhaps becoming a warrant officer instead.Failure to obtain a baccalaureate degree within the parameters of their contract and the law, might result in complete separation from all military service (as a breach of contract), or revoking their reserve commission, and returning them to their prior reserve enlisted status to continue service. All officers have a 6 year “probationary period” after they are commissioned, and it is relatively easy to revoke a commission during that probationary period.See the link for descriptions about each program, which are also called “sources of commission,” or “officer procurement programs.”