Expeditionary Warfare School educates and trains company grade officers in order to prepare them mentally, morally, and physically for billets of increased leadership responsibility across the Fleet Marine Force and the Joint Force, with emphasis on the warfighting capabilities of a Marine Air Ground Task Force operating within a complex and distributed Naval expeditionary environment.

Course Description

The Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS) is a 41-week resident school that provides career-level, professional military education and training to company grade Marine officers and selected officers from other services and countries. Upon graduation, students are mentally, morally, and physically prepared to lead in billets of increased responsibility within the complex and distributed Naval expeditionary environment, capable of:

(1) LEAD with the Marine Corps' Core Values and ethical standards expected of commissioned officers.

(2) FIGHT with a Maneuver Warfare Mindset.

(3) EMPLOY a MAGTF in a naval expeditionary environment.

(4) DEMONSTRATE MOS credibility.

Admission Policy

The EWS Admissions Policy supports the mission and purpose of EWS and reflects the needs of the U.S. Marine Corps and the educational criteria of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Officer Professional Military Education Policy appropriate for company grade officers. Invitation, nomination, and admission to the school vary by student. U.S. military officers are admitted through their services’ selection/assignment processes and international officers are admitted through an invitational nomination/approval process. For Marines, information about the Commandant’s Education Board can be found on the MMOA-3 Plans & Programs website.

The Expeditionary Warfare School was originally established at Quantico as the Company Grade Officers Course in 1921, renamed the Amphibious Warfare School Junior Course in the 1930s, and in 1964 renamed as Amphibious Warfare School.  For Academic Year 2003 the school was reorganized by merging Amphibious Warfare School and the Command and Control Systems Course and redesignated Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS).  EWS challenges students to think critically as MAGTF officers by providing them with a firm doctrinal foundation, augmented with the exchange of practical experiences, and reinforced with extensive practical application and numerous planning exercises.  The majority of learning occurs in the conference group, which consists of approximately 16 captains of various military occupational specialties (MOS), military services, and nationalities.  Each conference group is mentored by a seasoned major, who acts as the Faculty Advisor (FACAD).  Throughout the academic year, the FACAD models tactical, technical, and professional MAGTF officer skills, mentors and guides students, facilitates conference group discussions, and assesses student performance.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS) Faculty, please follow these steps:

1. Contact your monitor to express your interest.

2. Reach out to either of the following EWS representatives for further information and assistance:

   • EWS Deputy Director, LtCol Steven Valenti, USMC

     • Phone:  703-784-1843

     • Email:  steven.valenti@usmcu.edu 

• Operations Officer, Mr. Matthew Erickson

  • Phone:  (703) 432-0161

  • Email:  Matthew.erickson@usmcu.edu