CAPTAIN MALLORY VANDERSCHANS

Marine Officer Instructor

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

Captain Mallory VanderSchans is a native of Elk Grove, California and enlisted in the Marine Corps in March 2006 out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Upon graduating from Marine Corps Recruit Training Paris Island, South Carolina and Marine Combat Training at Camp Lejeune, she continued on to Basic Engineer Course for MOS training at Courthouse Bay. Captain VanderSchans was assigned to Bridge Company, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, at Camp Lejeune following MOS training and was meritoriously promoted to Lance Corporal. 

Captain VanderSchans deployed to Al-Taqaddum, Iraq with 8th ESB from March to September 2007 and was combat meritorious promoted to Corporal. Once she returned from her first deployment, she volunteered for an assignment to Engineer Platoon, Combat Logistics Battalion 6 and deployed to Al Asad, Iraq as an assistant squad leader from March to September 2008.

After returning from Iraq, Captain VanderSchans was assigned to 8th ESB and attended the Combat Engineer Journeyman’s Course at Courthouse Bay in 2009. She reenlisted in March 2010 with a Lateral Move into the Combat Camera MOS and was assigned to the COMCAM section in Information Operations department, G-3, II Marine Expeditionary Command Element. During this assignment, Captain VanderSchans graduated from the Basic Still Photography Course at Defense Information School in Fort Meade, Maryland in September 2010 and went on to graduate from the Department of the Army Psychological Operations MOS Certification Course at Fort Dix, New Jersey in November 2010.  In February 2011, Captain VanderSchans deployed to Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan as the Photo Chief for the COMCAM section, C-3, Regional Command Southwest, II MEF (Forward).

Captain VanderSchans returned to Camp Lejeune in January 2012 and was assigned to the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy for Sergeant’s Course. Upon gradation, Captain VanderSchans was assigned as the official photographer to the 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Headquarters Marine Corps. During this assignment, she was accepted to the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program and went to Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Virginia in Fall 2014. 

In November 2014, Captain VanderSchans was assigned as the Public Affairs Chief for Marine Barracks 8th and I, Washington, D.C. while awaiting orders to the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at the University of Texas at Austin in Summer 2015. Captain VanderSchans graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising and commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. She went on to The Basic School in Quantico and graduated December 2018. 

In January 2019, she was assigned as the Assistant Marketing & Communication Officer for 12th Marine Corps District, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, in San Diego, California and later attended the Public Affairs Qualification Course at Fort Meade, MD in Spring 2019. While at 12th District, Captain VanderSchans took on an additional billet as the Executive Officer for Headquarters Company. 

Captain VanderSchans reported to Communication Directorate, Headquarters Marine Corps, in January 2022 to serve as the Engagements Officer in the Production and Engagement office. In November 2022, Captain VanderSchans was assigned as the Deputy Director, Community Relations Branch, Communication Directorate, HQMC. 

Captain VanderSchans reported to the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps in June 2024 and is currently serving as the Marine Officer Instructor at the University of Southern California and University of California, Los Angeles.

Her personal decorations and awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal.