# .ITC Officer Composition and Retention



## NFB19 (Jan 20, 2016)

It's been close to a year since I've introduced myself to this forum, so I will give a brief  background. I'm a Midshipman at the Academy, and former PLC Officer Candidate, with intentions of service selecting Marine Corps - Ground, and the hopes of getting Infantry or Ground Intel out of TBS. I've read into the Raider's and I was in awe of Michael Golembesky's and Dick Couch's works on the community. We do not have any Raider officers on the Yard, but a Recon officer did give me a small bit of insight. I'm simply wondering if anyone has an idea of what kind of backgrounds most of the officers have as far as commissioning source and what the overall retention rate is of officers in ITC. I would assume the majority come from PLC/OCS and I want to say I've read somewhere that 80% of the officers that make it through A&S graduate ITC and go on to be Team Leaders. Any insight, and even advice, is greatly appreciated.


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## Teufel (Jan 21, 2016)

Are you a plebe? You're class of 2019 right?  Who are the recon officers on the yard right now? I don't think I know many officers on the yard anymore.  I find myself rather busy nowadays and I don't post on here as much as I used to. I would normally let someone else field this one but I also studied along the severn, albeit many many years before you, and I will humor you because of that connection. The Naval Academy, and ten years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, made me the man I am today.  I would not say that I was thrilled to be there as a student but in hindsight I can appreciate the lessons I learned there and I wouldn't change my academic choices.

I like lists because it allows me to focus my train of thought and more importantly your attention.

1. Finish plebe year.

2. Don't be too much of a dirtbag youngster. Keep your goals in mind.  Do you play sports?  Find a sport.  Not badminton.  I hear boxing is nice. 

3. Once you finish 3/c year, focus on finishing 2/c year.  It's tough.  Time to be a leader for your underclass.

4. You get where I'm going with this. Join the Semper Fi club at the academy.  Or don't.  I never did.  Your immediate target is graduating the Academy.  Your next objective is being selected for the Marine Corps. It's not as easy as it sounds.  Let's say you make it.  Who knows what you get out of TBS.  Maybe you get married and decide you don't want to be gone all the time.  A million things could happen between now and then. Take this journey one step at at time.

5. I don't know how many officers quit or fail ITC or A&S.  Who cares?  I'm not a MARSOC guy and I don't know that information.  I do know that 70-80% of officers quit BRC.  I also know and always knew that I would never quit.  The other 80% of tiny hearts don't matter.  What if I said 100% of guys pass?  Would that make you feel better?  Don't worry about the odds, this isn't the super ball lottery.  You either have it or you don't.  You can decide if you have it or you don't by deciding right now to make it or die trying.  That's up to you.  Odds don't have anything to do with it.  Just don't get hurt.

6. I went to Leatherneck (our Naval Academy Marine Corps summer training) as a junior and decided that I loved the Marine Corps and would one day become a Force Recon Platoon commander.   I probably shouldn't have been accepted at the Naval Academy.  Everyone seemed smarter than me but I was too dumb to give up.  I struggled the entire time I was there and graduated in the bottom third of my class .  I refused to play games at The Basic School, refused to demonstrate fake motivation and decided to be myself.  People thought I told too many jokes and didn't take things seriously enough.  I graduated in the bottom third of my class at TBS but still got my first choice: 0302, infantry, you made it.  I spent three years in an infantry battalion as a platoon commander before a triple stack of artillery shells in Iraq earned me an all expenses paid vacation back to the states via Germany.  I also got to appear on an fun game show known as the medical board where the prizes were medical retirement or separation.  I chose the recon indoc, Recon Indoctrination Platoon and the Basic Reconnaissance Course instead. I broke my ankle in the second week of BRC.  Still graduated though and took my Force Reconnaissance Platoon to Afghanistan about five years after graduating the Naval Academy.  Nothing is impossible.  Follow your dreams and never quit.  No one can tell you that you can't achieve anything but yourself.  Best of luck and Semper Fidelis


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## NFB19 (Jan 21, 2016)

Sir, I am a 4/C and the officer I talked to was Captain Pxxxxx. I am in Semper Fi Society. In recent years they have been putting a lot of emphasis on figuring out service selection preferences early on so that they may put us on the right track for those communities. There is a lot more service-specific training opportunities during the academic year and summer now. For example, I'm going to go to Quantico for some CQC training this spring and there is a chance I get selected for a MAGTF PTE with a Raider Battalion this summer, if not that, then Airborne. I truly appreciate you sharing your story and giving me advice. I'm doing everything I can at the moment. Semper Fi, sir.

Mod Edit to remove the name.


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## 8654Maine (Jan 21, 2016)

Take Teufel's recommendation to heart.

I always respected my officers who knew their shit.


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