Quote Originally Posted by SethB View Post
The USMC uses a board to select applicants. It is highly selective.

Then they go to ten or twelve weeks of OCS, where 50% pass.

There is no emphasis on training, just selection.

Then they go to The Basic Course for six months of training in the basics, followed by an MOS course (Infantry, Artillery, etc).

It's a good system. I like working with Marines. Very professional and well educated. A far cry from the Army system.

60% of Marines come from OCS. 30% come from USNA, where there is less selection. The two groups don't always get along at first...
Up front let me say that this obviously works for the marines (and that's really all that counts).

My initial focus was upon the initial pre-course selection process because it is the quality of which informs as to how many (what percentage) pass in the end. The attrition rate I experienced was similar to the 50% you speak of. I am now questioning this in the light of the quality of the initial pre-course selection process.

What happens to the 50% who fail? What is the cost of training those who don't make it? What psychological impact does this (largely avoidable failure) have on these individuals? Are they lost to the service? Is there not some room for improvement in the initial selection process?