United States Marine Corps

As our country's premier expeditionary "Total Force in Readiness," the Marine Corps exists today to fight and win our nation's battles. As an officer of Marines, you will lead the charge at home or abroad when our country calls. You will be tasked to make tough decisions-decisions that demand a sharp and agile mind and the discipline to think before you act. Your decisions will affect the outcome of your mission and will impact the people you will lead. Prove yourself worthy, and you will have attained one of the greatest honors of all: the title of United States Marine.

Marine officers are not simply leaders; they are leaders of Marines. For more than 227 years, they have led the finest military force in the world into battle. Marine Corps officers are directly responsible for the welfare and job performance of the men and women they command. People's lives often depend on that performance.

The career of a Marine Corps officer has many advantages. The variety of duties, responsibilities and challenges is unlike any found in the civilian sector. As a United States Marine Corps officer, you will acquire the confidence that comes from understanding your capabilities. You will find resolution and courage that comes from the discipline to find your future.

In the field of your choice, you will have management opportunities and leadership experience like no other. All occupations fall into one of two categories: Ground and Air.

Ground
More than three-fourths of all Marines are a part of a ground force that is the backbone of the Marine Corps. Here, you could lead forty infantrymen or call fire down on targets miles away. You could develop intelligence assessments or manage information systems for an entire division.

Air
As a Marine aviation officer, you'll be in one of the world's largest tactical air forces. Marine aviators provide close air support for ground troops. It is a tradition started more than a half century ago, and is an experience unmatched in the civilian world.

One of the most important responsibilities of The Basic School is the assignment of MOSs to lieutenants. The long-term impact of this assignment process has on the welfare of our officers and our Corps is immeasurable. TBS adheres to the highest standards of fairness and consistency, with a firm view towards serving the best interests of the Marine Corps. Prior to 1977, MOSs were assigned based solely on lineal standing at TBS. In 1977, the Commandant of the Marine Corps made the decision to apply a quality spread to the assignment of MOSs. This decision was made to ensure every occupational field received a fair share of the most competitive lieutenants. The current MOS selection process has proven to be the most effective way to serve the needs of the Marine Corps while accommodating the desires of those officers involved. Not every lieutenant will receive one of his or her top choices. Therefore, it is essential that the positive aspects and importance of every MOS to the Marine Corps be emphasized and that lieutenants carefully consider their preferences with an open mind.

Within these major categories, the following Military Operational Specialties (MOS) exists:

MOS Description
0180 Adjutant
0203 Ground Intelligence
0204 Human Intelligence
0206 Signals Intelligence
0207 Air Intelligence
0302 Infantry
0402 Logistics
0602 Communications / Data
0802 Engineer
1802 Armor
1803 Amphibious Assault Vehicle
3002 Ground Supply
3404 Financial Management
4302 Public Affairs
5803 Military Police
6002 Aircraft Maintenance
6602 Aviation Supply
7208 Air Support Control
7210 Air Defense Control
7220 Air Traffic Control
7580 Naval Flight Officer
7599 Naval Aviator

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