Public Affairs Officers communicate the mission and interests of the Marine Corps to diverse stakeholders. These officers answer questions and inform the media of Marine Corps stories and events. They fulfill requests for aircraft, military bands, color guards and speakers. In addition, they write articles, publish base newspapers and manage websites. This profession is relatively small in respect to other MOSs but has a significant supporting staff role among all levels of command.

Specialized Training

Public Affairs Officers Course (PAOC)
Defense Information School
Fort Meade, MD
8.5 weeks

Beyond Your First Tour

After your first tour, you may be assigned to a billet available to all officers, such as recruiting duty, instructor duty at The Basic School or series commander at one of the Marine Corps Recruit Depots. Later in your career, you may be assigned to Expeditionary Warfare School or Command and Control Systems Course, or seek an advanced degree. This pattern of assignment is designed to expand your knowledge of the Marine Corps and overall strategic operations before you take on increased responsibility within your MOS.