SAIS Students Experience Officer Candidates School at Marine Corps Base Quantico
From April 4-5, 2025, 15 Johns Hopkins SAIS students participated in one of the most grueling initiatives of the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies: the Quantico Leadership Venture. Representing three SAIS degree programs—MAIR, MASCI, and MIPP—these students stepped out of the classroom and into the boots of United States Marine officer candidates during a high-intensity, 24-hour immersion at Marine Corps Base Quantico, in Virginia.
Coordinated by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the Quantico Leadership Venture offered students a rare chance to experience firsthand the physical, mental, and emotional rigors of Officer Candidates School, the 10-week foundational program that screens prospective Marine Corps officers for leadership through a combination of academic instruction, physical conditioning, and intensive field exercises. Its ultimate goal is to shape individuals who can lead Marines with integrity, decisiveness, and resilience.
Throughout their time at Quantico, the SAIS students deepened their understanding of Marine Corps values, the structural design of Officer Candidates School, and the critical role drill instructors play in shaping officer candidates. The group engaged in discussions with current officers and instructors, gaining clarity on how leadership is cultivated and tested within the military context.
The experiential value of the Quantico Leadership Venture was more profound. Participants observed a live demonstration of combined arms effects on the battlefield, offering a glimpse into the complexity and coordination required in modern combat. They also tackled the Combat Course—an obstacle-laden, high-stress environment designed to test endurance, teamwork, and leadership under pressure. By the end, the students were caked in mud, but richer in insight.
These physically demanding exercises were far more than adrenaline-filled adventures; they provided the students, many of whom aim to work in national security policy, with an invaluable sense of empathy. As future policymakers, their decisions will directly impact service members on the ground.
“For me, this experience hammered home the great responsibility policymakers have towards those who serve,” said Kris Ho, a first-year MAIR student. Caitlin Rodriguez, a second year MAIR student, noted: “As a policy student, I spend a lot more time studying and engaging with policy leadership in the Washington, D.C. area, but I realize that most of the U.S. military lives and works outside the capital. Seeing how Marines operate within the relative bubble of Quantico highlighted the differences between military operations and military strategy.”
These students’ reflections underscore the broader purpose of the Quantico Leadership Venture: to bridge the gap between civilian leadership and military members. By exposing SAIS students to the realities of those at the “tip of the spear,” the program fosters deeper respect and understanding, essential ingredients for healthy civil-military relations.
The venture also highlighted the strength and breadth of the SAIS community. The students were welcomed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps by a fellow SAIS student, Louis Freda (MIPP), who concurrently serves as a volunteer docent. In addition, Jerome Lademan (MIPP) a current Officer Candidates School staff member helping to guide the students through their training, is also a SAIS student. Their presence was a powerful reminder that SAIS alumni are embedded in key institutions across the national security landscape, including the military.
Stavros Piperidis, a second-year MAIR student, took part in the Quantico Leadership Venture in 2024 and returned to chaperone the 2025 group of participants. “Experiencing the QLV as a participant threw me into the challenge, but returning as a chaperone was an opportunity for better reflection about the intent of Officer Candidates School,” Piperidis said.
The Quantico Leadership Venture was more than just a field trip. By enduring a day in the life of a Marine officer candidate, SAIS students returned humbled and inspired, and more ready to lead with empathy.
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