Leading Marines Exam Question/Answer
Graded A+ 2024/2025
Officer's Oath - ✔️✔️I do solemnly swear to support and defend the constitution of the
United States against all Enemy, foreign and domestic; that I bear true faith and
allegiance in the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation
or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office
on which I am about to enter; So help me God.
Leadership Principles (KKK BEST MEDS) - ✔️✔️-Know your Marines and look out for
their welfare
-Know yourself and seek self improvement
-Keep your Marines informed
-Be Technically and Tactically proficient
-Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished
-Set the Example
-Train your Marines as a team
-Make sound and timely decisions
-Employ your unit in accordance with it capabilities
-Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates
-Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions
Leadership Traits - ✔️✔️JJ DID TIE BUCKLE
Describe the three levels of war - ✔️✔️- Strategic-focus directly on policy objectives.
- Operational-The art and science of winning campaigns. Links the strategic and tactical
levels.
- Tactical-the art and science
of winning engagements and battles.
The four tenets of our Moral Compass - ✔️✔️-Prudence
-Justice
-Courage
-Temperance
Five Horizontal Themes - ✔️✔️-A man or woman of exemplary character
-Devoted to leading Marines 24/7
-Able to Decide, Communicate, and Act in the fog of war
-A warfighter who embraces the Corps Warrior ethos
-Mentally strong and physically tough
Three responsibilities leaders have in regards to Corps Values - ✔️✔️-live them
-demonstrate them
-instill them in subordinates
,What is the purpose of the MC mandated by Congress - ✔️✔️-Be our Nation's signature
crisis response force. As such we must be most ready when the nation is least ready
What is one form disorder takes on the battlefield - ✔️✔️In the heat of battle plans will go
awry, comm will fail, info will be unclear, and mistakes and unforeseen events will be
commonplace.
What are three ways to prepare Marines for them? - ✔️✔️-Seek to generate disorder &
use as a weapon against EN
-Realistic training/to operate in a disorderly environment
-Command and control decentralized
Describe maneuver warfare - ✔️✔️-Taking action to generate and exploit some kind of
advantage over the EN as a means of accomplishing our objectives as effectively as
possible.
-Bypass the enemy's strength IOT to penetrate the EN system and tear it apart
-A philosophy for generating the greatest decisive effect against the EN at the least
possible cost to ourselves-"fighting Smart"
How are speed and focus related to maneuver warfare? - ✔️✔️-Speed and Focus
maximize combat power
-Speed will seize initiative, dictate the terms of action, and keep the EN off balance
-Focus is the convergence of effects in time and space on some objective
Define Center of Gravity. - ✔️✔️-EN's key strength, if defeated, they bend to our will
Define Critical Vulnerability. - ✔️✔️-EN's key weakness, provides a pathway for
destroying the COG
What is a surface? - ✔️✔️-Enemy Strengths
What is a gap? - ✔️✔️-Enemy Weaknesses
Describe the Art and the Science of Tactics - ✔️✔️-The art of tactics is the creation,
positioning and maneuver of combat power (MCDP 1-3)
-The science of tactics lies in the technical application of combat power—techniques
such as marksmanship and navigation (MCDP 1-3)
Describe the OODA Loop - ✔️✔️-Observe. This includes ourselves, the enemy, the
environment, and anticipating the enemy's next move.
-Orient to the situation. We use our situational awareness as the foundation of a plan.
The better our appreciation of the situation, the better the plan.
, -Decide upon a course of action. The decision becomes our plan and is communicated
through orders.
-Act. The plan is executed. Since this action has changed the situation, the cycle begins
anew.
*What are Reality-Based Unit Obstacles - ✔️✔️-Result of internal friction encountered by
and attributed to individual units. These obstacles are unit-imposed and can be
overcome through good leadership (Ex. *Insufficient Leadership Training, Identification
with Peers vice Unit, Leadership Turnover, Operational Tempo, Insufficient discipline).
MCRP 6-11D, pg 54-55
*What are Perception-Based Unit Obstacles - ✔️✔️-Result of unit-held perceptions (Ex.
Labeling, "Broken" Marines, Cohesion Team Perceptions, Counseling) MCRP 6-11, pg
56
Analytical v. intuitive Decision-Making - ✔️✔️-Intuitive—based on experience and
situational awareness with little time to do it.
-Analytical—based on comparing several options and having the time to do it.
We obtain our values through the influence of our ________, ________, and ________
with earlier experiences having more of an effect than later experiences. - ✔️✔️Parents,
teachers, and peers
Attitudes are not as deeply held as values. - ✔️✔️True
CATEGORIES - ✔️✔️Values are organized into the following five categories:
•Political values
•Social values
•Personal values
•Economic values
•Religious values
CHARACTER - ✔️✔️Our character is defined by "...the commitment to an admirable set
of values, and the courage to manifest those values in one's life, no matter the cost in
terms of personal success or popularity." (Sorely, 1989)
VALUES AND LEADERSHIP - ✔️✔️If a Marine is left without any guidance or
supervision, then personal values will determine what that Marine will or will not do.
Leaders must provide guidance and supervision to inspire and reinforce organizational
values to have an effect on the behavior of our Marines.
IDENTIFYING WITH PEERS VICE UNIT - ✔️✔️When there is a breakdown in vertical
cohesion within the parent command, Marines only identify with their peers and not with
their unit. Marines in a group or section are only loyal to those Marines within the
immediate group.
Graded A+ 2024/2025
Officer's Oath - ✔️✔️I do solemnly swear to support and defend the constitution of the
United States against all Enemy, foreign and domestic; that I bear true faith and
allegiance in the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation
or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office
on which I am about to enter; So help me God.
Leadership Principles (KKK BEST MEDS) - ✔️✔️-Know your Marines and look out for
their welfare
-Know yourself and seek self improvement
-Keep your Marines informed
-Be Technically and Tactically proficient
-Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished
-Set the Example
-Train your Marines as a team
-Make sound and timely decisions
-Employ your unit in accordance with it capabilities
-Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates
-Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions
Leadership Traits - ✔️✔️JJ DID TIE BUCKLE
Describe the three levels of war - ✔️✔️- Strategic-focus directly on policy objectives.
- Operational-The art and science of winning campaigns. Links the strategic and tactical
levels.
- Tactical-the art and science
of winning engagements and battles.
The four tenets of our Moral Compass - ✔️✔️-Prudence
-Justice
-Courage
-Temperance
Five Horizontal Themes - ✔️✔️-A man or woman of exemplary character
-Devoted to leading Marines 24/7
-Able to Decide, Communicate, and Act in the fog of war
-A warfighter who embraces the Corps Warrior ethos
-Mentally strong and physically tough
Three responsibilities leaders have in regards to Corps Values - ✔️✔️-live them
-demonstrate them
-instill them in subordinates
,What is the purpose of the MC mandated by Congress - ✔️✔️-Be our Nation's signature
crisis response force. As such we must be most ready when the nation is least ready
What is one form disorder takes on the battlefield - ✔️✔️In the heat of battle plans will go
awry, comm will fail, info will be unclear, and mistakes and unforeseen events will be
commonplace.
What are three ways to prepare Marines for them? - ✔️✔️-Seek to generate disorder &
use as a weapon against EN
-Realistic training/to operate in a disorderly environment
-Command and control decentralized
Describe maneuver warfare - ✔️✔️-Taking action to generate and exploit some kind of
advantage over the EN as a means of accomplishing our objectives as effectively as
possible.
-Bypass the enemy's strength IOT to penetrate the EN system and tear it apart
-A philosophy for generating the greatest decisive effect against the EN at the least
possible cost to ourselves-"fighting Smart"
How are speed and focus related to maneuver warfare? - ✔️✔️-Speed and Focus
maximize combat power
-Speed will seize initiative, dictate the terms of action, and keep the EN off balance
-Focus is the convergence of effects in time and space on some objective
Define Center of Gravity. - ✔️✔️-EN's key strength, if defeated, they bend to our will
Define Critical Vulnerability. - ✔️✔️-EN's key weakness, provides a pathway for
destroying the COG
What is a surface? - ✔️✔️-Enemy Strengths
What is a gap? - ✔️✔️-Enemy Weaknesses
Describe the Art and the Science of Tactics - ✔️✔️-The art of tactics is the creation,
positioning and maneuver of combat power (MCDP 1-3)
-The science of tactics lies in the technical application of combat power—techniques
such as marksmanship and navigation (MCDP 1-3)
Describe the OODA Loop - ✔️✔️-Observe. This includes ourselves, the enemy, the
environment, and anticipating the enemy's next move.
-Orient to the situation. We use our situational awareness as the foundation of a plan.
The better our appreciation of the situation, the better the plan.
, -Decide upon a course of action. The decision becomes our plan and is communicated
through orders.
-Act. The plan is executed. Since this action has changed the situation, the cycle begins
anew.
*What are Reality-Based Unit Obstacles - ✔️✔️-Result of internal friction encountered by
and attributed to individual units. These obstacles are unit-imposed and can be
overcome through good leadership (Ex. *Insufficient Leadership Training, Identification
with Peers vice Unit, Leadership Turnover, Operational Tempo, Insufficient discipline).
MCRP 6-11D, pg 54-55
*What are Perception-Based Unit Obstacles - ✔️✔️-Result of unit-held perceptions (Ex.
Labeling, "Broken" Marines, Cohesion Team Perceptions, Counseling) MCRP 6-11, pg
56
Analytical v. intuitive Decision-Making - ✔️✔️-Intuitive—based on experience and
situational awareness with little time to do it.
-Analytical—based on comparing several options and having the time to do it.
We obtain our values through the influence of our ________, ________, and ________
with earlier experiences having more of an effect than later experiences. - ✔️✔️Parents,
teachers, and peers
Attitudes are not as deeply held as values. - ✔️✔️True
CATEGORIES - ✔️✔️Values are organized into the following five categories:
•Political values
•Social values
•Personal values
•Economic values
•Religious values
CHARACTER - ✔️✔️Our character is defined by "...the commitment to an admirable set
of values, and the courage to manifest those values in one's life, no matter the cost in
terms of personal success or popularity." (Sorely, 1989)
VALUES AND LEADERSHIP - ✔️✔️If a Marine is left without any guidance or
supervision, then personal values will determine what that Marine will or will not do.
Leaders must provide guidance and supervision to inspire and reinforce organizational
values to have an effect on the behavior of our Marines.
IDENTIFYING WITH PEERS VICE UNIT - ✔️✔️When there is a breakdown in vertical
cohesion within the parent command, Marines only identify with their peers and not with
their unit. Marines in a group or section are only loyal to those Marines within the
immediate group.
