LES History

LES began at MCAS El Toro in 1990. An initial team of 12 facilitators created the program, which was patterned after a course of commanders’ spouses offered by the Army. At that time, LES was referred to as Command Team Seminar.

A few years later, Headquarters Marine Corps adopted the curriculum for the Spouses’ Workshop of the Commanders’ Course held at Quantico, VA. Meanwhile, the volunteers at El Toro redesigned and renamed the course, and Leadership Education Seminar was born. In 1998 El Toro closed and Marine Corps Community Services and MCB, Camp Pendleton provided a new home for LES.