On March 23, the graduation ceremony took place at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. The second lieutenants Niccolò Sammartino and Alberto Secco have successfully completed the 7-month course of study planned for Marine officers.
The two officers underwent individual and collective tests, from day and night land navigation, to practical exercises, up to participation in shooting activities with individual and departmental weapons.
Il Basic Officer Course it represents the common denominator for all officers of the US Marine Corps. At the end of the course, students receive the MOS (Military Occupation Specialty), a specialization within the armed force. The Marine Corps, in fact, has a wide spectrum of professional figures on the staff, given that the "expeditionary" and "sea based" characteristic of the Corps requires distinctly operational forces but also a dynamic and articulated support system, ready to operate with little notice anywhere in the world.
The course is divided into four phases which see the visitor engaged in theoretical and practical exercises with increasing difficulty. The first phase includes notions of self-defense and shooting with the M16A4 rifle and Beretta M9 pistol, supplied to the Marine Corps. In the following phases, the course continues with the learning of the doctrines of use of infantry squads and platoons. During the more complex exercises, the attendant is evaluated according to various aspects, planning and leadership skills, resistance to prolonged stress and adaptability to rapidly changing situations.
The experience in the United States, in addition to consolidating the cooperation between the two amphibious forces, is a very important starting point for the training of officers who, returning to Italy, will be involved in a further training phase with the Marina San Marco Brigade who it will be used to complete their training.
