MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA.- Major Martin O. Thomas, Director of the Martial Arts and Fitness Center of Excellence, Training Command, Training and Education Command, won gold in his division at the 2024 International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation No-Gi World Championships on December 14, 2024. Competing with over 10,000 athletes from around the world, Maj. Thomas secured the World Champion title in the super heavyweight division. A black belt in BJJ and a Marine with two decades of service, Maj. Thomas's journey to the pinnacle of the sport is a testament to his unrelenting dedication to physical and mental excellence. His foundation in Greco and Folkstyle wrestling in his early years, coupled with years of martial arts training within

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – After a cross-country journey of over 2,000 miles, the MAGTF Staff Training Program group out of Quantico, Va., finds themselves among the warm weather of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Ca. to support exercise Steel Knight 24.MSTP is an active-duty unit, augmented by Marine Corps Reserve officers, whose mission is to improve the warfighting skills of senior commanders and their staff. For SK24, MSTP’s role was serving as the higher headquarters three-star command element to I Marine Expeditionary Force and Third Fleet during scenario-driven exercise. The exercise also allows the Navy-Marine Corps team to test their ability to synchronize communications and operations.According to U.S. Marine

Marine Corps Education Command, Marine Corps University, announced the launch of the Staff Noncommissioned Officer (SNCO) Leadership School (SLS), combining former professional military education requirements for staff sergeants and gunnery sergeants. Previously, SNCOs attended separate Career and Advanced Schools, but the new unified curriculum will streamline their education and provide a higher standard of leadership training for all junior and mid-grade SNCOs.The creation of the SLS addresses the need to maximize time in Fleet Marine Force units. Recognizing the value of combining the former Career and Advanced Schools, Marine leaders aimed to improve return on investment (ROI) by delivering necessary education while increasing

The National Museum of the Marine Corps unveiled two new galleries on U.S. Marine Corps operations to the public in Quantico, Virginia, on Oct. 6, 2024. The galleries encompass a 20,000 square foot exhibit featuring hundreds of artifacts from all major U.S. Marine Corps operations from 1976 to 2021, to include Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.