A statistical analysis of the performance of Naval Academy graduates at the Basic Officer Course

Abstract

This thesis examines the performance of Naval Academy Graduates at the Marine Corps' Basic Officer Course conducted at The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia. The study reviews the Marine Officer Commissioning and Training programs available and provides an overview of the mission and goals of Officer Candidates School and The Basic School. The study examines Marine Corps training programs used at the Naval Academy between 1988 and 1999 with an overview of Marine Corp s exposure programs and Marine-specific training programs designed to prepare aspiring midshipmen for service in the Marine Corps. The analysis includes a review of the Naval Academy's service selection and service assignment processes. The models used in this study focus on the impact of Marine-specific summer training for Naval Academy midshipmen on class standing at The Basic School for newly commissioned Second Lieutenants who attended the Academy. Ordinary least squares estimation techniques provide the effects of the selected independent variables on students' success at The Basic School. The results of the study indicate that those completing the OCS/Bulldog summer training program had a significantly higher class standing at The Basic School than other Marine-specific summer training programs.