 Wherever you go, whatever you do, you'll meet him. The man who stands out in a street full of people. In the midst of activity and competition, it's not hard to pick him out. What is it that makes him one man out of a thousand? A leader of men. The time a guy reaches his junior year, he knows he's got to face some big decisions. When I signed up for Marine Officer Training, I had no idea what to expect. The fact is that sooner or later, you've got to make up your mind. Of course, by the time you get to be 18 or 20... These are Marine Corps officers talking about jobs and careers, the decisions that stand out in your future. They work in different fields. Advertising, construction, business, government, you name it. And some of them have continued on active duty, working toward a military career. Each is outstanding in his chosen field, whatever it may be. And it's no accident that each of these uncommon men has served at least three years as an officer of the United States Marines. Paul Sheridan is a lawyer, age 28, associate and a major firm in Washington, D.C. He handles himself well in the varied assignments of a young corporation lawyer. What was it that went white during those seven critical years after graduation? I entered the Marine Corps in 1958, right after I got my college degree. Following basic school, I went overseas as a rifle platoon commander in the Fleet Marine Force. I went off active duty in July 1961 to enter law school. Even now, I find it difficult to sum up my Marine Corps service. I can only think of it as a number of experiences of a very special kind. The training was tough. Anyone who sets out to become a Marine officer expects this. But there are a few things I didn't expect, and the toughest part was the responsibility. Responsibility. What does this mean to a young Marine officer? It means the men of his platoon are looking to him and him alone for direction. His NCOs, however experienced, can only help him to fulfill the basic requirement for leadership. The payoff is when you see the platoon that you have trained performing well in action, trusting your ability, your judgment, your leadership. You've seen that happen. You know you've made the grade as a Marine officer, and you've discovered something about yourself that will stick with you no matter where you go or what you do. Bill Smyth, contractor. At age 28, an independent businessman, proprietor of his own firm, his own future. It means a lot of travel, a lot of work, but he enjoys it all. Sure I like it. Everybody at one time or other wants to be his own boss, and I've done it. Perhaps I can show you how my Marine Corps training has helped me with all this. Bill's training helped in a number of ways. To fill a job like his, he had to be able to communicate, to know how to give orders, and to be a little tough. The most important thing I got out of the Marine Corps wasn't aggressiveness or confidence. What Marine training gave to me was even more basic. The ability to deal with people, and I mean all kinds of people. Most people think of military life as a rigid sort of existence with everything done according to the book. And they're right to an extent. What they don't realize is that here is the widest assortment of human beings you could ever expect to come across. 45 very different types of individuals. As platoon leader, you must become well acquainted with each. His strong points as well as his weak ones. For out of this human material, for better or for worse, you're building your platoon. In the course of your experience as a Marine officer, you have to deal with people in many different situations. You've got to become an effective teacher and be able to express complex concepts to audiences that may be very different. Sir, last know and bring that here, sir. What was the actual location of the contact? Well, sir... Find that staff assignments force you to think on your feet. Or you may find yourself involved in a court martial with a real courtroom battle on your hands. Your acting is legal counsel for one of your men. And you'd better be good. Did you know this man was married before the trial? No, sir. I did not. Did you know this man was married before the trial? As a Marine officer, you run the gamut of personal contact. It's a matter of experience, this problem of understanding others, estimating their responses and their capacities in different situations. And it is exactly the kind of experience needed to move ahead. Dick Truett, age 29, executive in a national advertising agency, Captain Marine Corps Reserve. And you might add, veteran of just over three years of active service. I'd agree the Marine Corps offers concentrated training in leadership and in the sheer experience of living. But as a professional persuader, what impressed me most now that I look back is the method, the know-how, the technique by which the Marine Corps develops your potential for leadership. Perhaps what I'm talking about is the whole subject of training. Right face. Louder, I can't hear you. The trainees are learning first things first. Before you can command, you've got to make yourself heard or proceeds methodically to develop the trainee's potential abilities. How well does he think? How fast does he respond? Can he give leadership? Can he accept leadership? These are questions the Marine Corps continues to ask of each officer throughout his career in the service. In a basic school exercise, he may suddenly be called upon to assume command. The instructor gives him his temporary insignia. Hi, Lieutenant. These captain bars will give you your authority of command. Here's your radio. Call your platoon leaders together for further instructions. All right, move out. He is informed of a new tactical problem that must be solved. He must cope with the hundreds of contingencies affecting the success of what is now his command, his mission. The same day sees a critique on how well the commander managed his responsibility. Captain Groening, from your side over there, any comments? Lieutenant Cole, in paragraph three of the operation order, you should be more explicit in assigning tasks to your subordinate unit commanders. Lieutenant Cole, you want to remember that last troop leading step. It's one of the most important, supervision. I felt the assault went real well, but your consolidation was poor. You realize that the Marine Corps is absolutely serious about developing your qualities as a leader. And this concern for your increased effectiveness continues as long as you serve whatever your post in the Marine Corps. Nowhere else is so much individual attention devoted to your development as a leader. How does Marine Corps training affect a civilian career? In terms of my experience, in terms of traits like initiative and presence of mind, it put me five years ahead of the others in my age group. These are LVTs. The Marine Corps uses them for special delivery, delivering the first waves in an attack. 35 tons, moving over land and water. LVTs have a big role in the amphibious operations Marines have developed to a fine art. Ten of these tractors in a platoon. Four platoons in a company. All right, you've all had the... 200 Marines, officers and men, and their commander, Major Wesley Rice, a Marine regular. Do we have any artillery support for the crossing? Yes, we will have artillery support. The 10th Marine can provide direct support for the crossing. Ten years of experience have made him an expert in the complicated business of amphibious operations. Coordination and timing, spare parts, fuel, ammunition, repairs, personnel. A big exercise is coming up, and there's a lot to getting ready. Every element of the company's operation comes under the Major's responsibility. A professional at work in a highly specialized area of military life. Dealing with the wide assortment of day-to-day problems has made this commander versatile. I've obviously enjoyed every one of these assignments. Most people don't realize the degree of responsibility has handed you as a Marine officer, and that goes for the new Sec Lieutenant, right on up the line. Each one of these monsters costs $120,000, as the Marine Corps won't hesitate to remind you. And when the assault kicks off, there have got to be 40 of them in the water, loaded with Marines and equipment, ready to go. We're a year and a half, I train my two commanders, worried with them over every detail in our operation. And now with a big exercise like this, everything is laid on the line. Inside the command tractor at our communications and control center, you can visualize the importance of the operation from the flow of messages. The operation keeps to a tight schedule. Planning and coordination are paying off. But now advancing in unfamiliar terrain, a hitch develops. The platoon leader calls for guidance. This decision affecting the whole advance belongs to his chief, the recon photo showed this inland creek, but the six foot banks are a surprise. Can the LVTs make it? Decisions are always tough and this one was complicated. The height of the bank, the current, the timetable, one thing weighing against the next. But his answer had to be right away and it drew on every bit of experience he had with track vehicles. A military career is like any really big objective in life. We've got to take it for what it is, not for side advantages. It's too demanding for anyone who can't give it 100%. Steeped in tradition and ritual, going back to the origins of the core, it extends the bond of comradeship to all who share this dedication. It goes, the Marine officer is known as a man who has been tested and proven for courage, for steadfast loyalty, for leadership. He is a leader of men.