Marine OSO Q&A: Gateway to Marine Officer Candidates School

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USMC OCS Blog

4 min readSep 19, 2017

Thank you to Norfolk Virginia’s Officer Selection Officer, Captain Calderon, for sharing her background and advice for future candidates. If you’re around the southern Virginia area, feel free to reach out to her recruiting unit with any questions about joining: 4th Marine Corps Recruiting District.

What’s your background?

I played Division I soccer all four years of college and graduated from the Naval Academy in 2011. I was first assigned as a landing support platoon commander in charge of 74 Marines in CLR-27, Landing Support Battalion. I later deployed to Afghanistan as a Motor Transport Platoon Commander and Transportation Officer under Combat Logistics Regiment 2, Combat Logistics Battalion 6. When I came from deployment, I was assigned as the Executive Officer of Landing Support Company under Transportation Support Battalion (TSB), Combat Logistics Regiment before becoming a Marine OSO.

Captain Calderon’s Basic Logistics Officer Course class in 2012

Why did you join the Marines?

I joined the Marine Corps for a couple of different reason. First, I am an extremely competitive person as I was a DI athlete in college and enjoy the challenge that comes with being a Marine.

There is never a dull moment in your career and you are always being presented with both mental and physical challenges that you have to overcome.

Second, my father was also a Marine and instilled in me a great sense of discipline and structure into my life. I knew the Marine Corps would carry this further and help me create good habits that would last a lifetime.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

My deployment to Afghanistan was definitely an amazing experience! Since there is not much to do except work, workout, and get to know your Marines, you get really good at these things. You build a sense of camaraderie with those that you deploy with that would be hard to replicate anywhere else.

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1stLt. Christine Calderon[/caption]

How can a Marine OSO and candidate work well together throughout the recruiting process?

Have a strong desire to succeed and we will help you to meet your goal.

Those that do not have a desire to become a Marine Officer do not do well in our program and get weeded out very quickly.

What advice do you have for female applicants and candidates?

There is no difference between female and male Marines. You are simply a “Marine.” What you think becomes your reality. If you think that you cannot do pull-ups, then you will not be able to. If you have a goal and believe that you can do 20 pull-ups, you will achieve it. Everything starts with a vision, desire to succeed, and action to make those things happen. Never sell yourself short as a female! There is nothing that a male can do that you cannot also do!

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There are no “Male Marines” or “Female Marines”, just Marines.[/caption]

What is the biggest reason behind failure at OCS?

Mental toughness. Those that do not have the correct mindset going into OCS, will not succeed. I highly suggest that people watch motivational videos or those on mindset prior to going to OCS because there will be times when you feel like quitting and remembering “why” you are there during those times is critical to making it through. Also having that determination and desire to succeed will carry you through OCS because those people have the mindset that no matter what obstacles are thrown their way, there is nothing that will keep them from succeeding.

What is the #1 thing you wish candidates knew before OCS?

You will be on your feet a LOT!! The average candidate has walked/run over 11 miles a day while at OCS! The more that you do now with weight on your back (running with weight), walking extremely fast with weight, etc, the more that will help you while at OCS.