The Marine Corps will require all Marines — active duty, reserve, officer and enlisted — to complete a basic artificial intelligence course by the end of the year, according to a Friday Marine Administrative Message, or MARADMIN.
The service’s goal is to familiarize Marines with generative artificial intelligence platforms and large language models, such as Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and xAI’s Grok, which are among the tools available through the Defense Department’s recently launched GenAI.mil platform.
The requirement follows broader DoD efforts to integrate AI across training, administration and operational planning while establishing standards for responsible use of the technology.
In an email, Maj. Hector Infante, the communications director for Marine Training and Education Command, said the course is intended to give Marines a “foundational understanding of artificial intelligence and its relevance to today’s operating environment.”
Infante said the 45-minute online course will introduce “key AI concepts, practical application, and responsible use considerations” through interview-style segments featuring experts discussing policy and operational applications.
He added that the course will “focus on how AI can support decision-making and mission effectiveness” and promote awareness of the tool rather than technical expertise.
According to the MARADMIN, all Marines have until Dec. 31, 2026, to complete the course. They can enroll and access the course through the Marine Corps eLearning Ecosystem, or MCeLE (formerly MarineNet). Civilians working within the Corps are “highly encouraged” to take the course as well.
Additionally, the Marines said that intermediate and advanced AI courses are currently in development and will be available sometime this fiscal year.
Last December, the DoD unveiled the GenAI.mil platform as part of the White House’s plan to expand AI infrastructure and introduce AI tools throughout the government.
About a month later, the Marines made the platform its official chatbot and began retiring its previous tool, the Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Generative Pre-training Transformer, or NIPRGPT.
Kyle ‘KMo’ Moschetto, a former Marine cyber officer turned technology consultant, explained in a video tutorial that GenAI.mil makes commercial AI tools available in a secure network.
“Think of this as a military-grade version of the AI tools that you’ve heard about from ChatGPT to Anthropic Claude to Google Gemini, but it lives inside government-level security and policy enforcement,” Moschetto said.
When describing GenAI.mil, military officials often use terms like “efficient” and “force multiplier” but they’re light on practical use.
However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used layman’s terms to explain the capability’s possibilities early on.
In a memo released alongside the announcement, Hegseth wrote that it “can help you write documents, ask questions, conduct deep research, format content, and unlock new possibilities across your daily workflows.”
“It removes wasted time and focuses more of our energy into decisive results for the warfighter,” he added.
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