Infantry Pilot Program

In early 2021 the Marine Corps will launch a pilot program that could bring major changes to enlisted infantry Marines.

This pilot program will extend training for infantry Marines from nine weeks to 14 weeks and it's possible that all infantry Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) will be condensed into one.

The pilot program is in response to the growing threat of China as the Commandant deploys small units of Marines throughout the Pacific and the South China Sea. Due to the dispersion of units, the Marines will have to make high-level decisions at lower ranks.

The pilot program will prepare these Marines for future challenges by going over the basic infantry concepts and testing them in complex contexts and environments. There will be a final evaluation that will cover everything from the training cycle.

The initial program length may not be the ultimate timeline when the program is finalized. The program could be longer or shorter depending on what the Marine Corps believes is best to ensure the Marines are properly trained.

With the extended training time, the Marine Corps could have time for more cross-training. The Marine Corps currently trains 0311 riflemen, 0331 machine gunners, 0341 mortarmen, 0351 infantry assault Marines, and 0352 anti-tank missile gunners but there is a possibility of combining these into one infantry Marine that can handle all of these jobs. However, a decision on this has not been made and will be evaluated throughout the implementation process.

Information on this page taken from the Marine Corps Times.