Marine Officer Tackles Challenges, Sacks OCS

Second Lieutenant Tyler R. Watkins defends his zone as Coastal Carolina University’s linebacker during the final game of the regular season, facing off against Charleston Southern University at Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C., Oct. 25, 2014. Watkins applied everything he learned playing football to his training at Officer Candidates School aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. He graduated OCS with Officer Candidate Class 222, which had the most OCS graduates since 2009, on Aug. 6, 2016. Due to injuries sustained during OCS, he is temporarily assigned to the Plans and Research section at Marine Corps Recruiting Command aboard MCB Quantico. Watkins hopes to return to training in March 2017.