Q. What is my candidate's mailing address?
A. To address mail to a candidate currently in training, use the following format. Your candidate is also required to write a letter home as part of check-in. That letter will be mailed within a couple days of initial check-in and will include your candidate's company and platoon as well as the rest of the address. Include all the information below to ensure the fastest delivery.
Candidate Last Name, First Name, MI
- ___ Company, ___ Platoon
- Officer Candidates School
- 2189 Elrod Avenue Quantico, VA 22134-5033
Q. Can I send my candidate overnight mail?
A. Yes, but the wait time for the candidate is usually the same time as regular mail because all candidate overnight mail will remain at the Quantico Post Office until authorized OCS personnel can go and sign for the mail item for the candidate.
Q. What time/date does liberty start for the candidates?
A. Liberty does not start until the end of week #3 in the training cycle and the time/date is determined by the company. Generally, liberty starts Saturday afternoon and ends on Sunday afternoon. Liberty periods are the only times the candidates will have access to personal cell phones with the exception of medical emergencies.
Q. If I’m in the Quantico area and I’d like to visit with my candidate when is the best time to stop by OCS?
A. The only personnel allowed to meet with candidates aboard OCS are Marine Officer Instructors and Officer Selection Officers. All other visits are prohibited. Family and friends (to include active duty military) must wait until their candidate is on liberty and off Brown Field (OCS).
Q. What does your motto, 'Ductus Exemplo' mean?
A. Ductus Exemplo is Latin for 'Leadership by Example.' It is a phrase to live by, one that exemplifies Marine Officers. The staff at Officer Candidates School strives to imbue this ideal into all candidates who undergo training at Brown Field.
Q. My son/daughter is interested in the Marine Corps. Who do they need to speak with to attend OCS?
A. 1-800-MARINES will locate the nearest Officer Selection Officer (OSO), or information can be entered online at www.marines.com/officer and an OSO will contact him/her.