Recruiting Duty, are you up to the challenge?

14 Jan 2004 | Sgt, Jimmie Perkins Marine Corps Recruiting Command

Myth: You are a salesman.Fact: You are a Marine. You are not a salesman, but a Marine on Recruiting Duty. You don't sell used cars or vacuum cleaners. You will be telling the Marine Corps story; using your personal example, communication skills, and leadership to convey those attributes that make Marines extraordinary warriors and human beings.Myth: Marine recruiters get fired.Fact: Historically, less than one percent of Marines on recruiting duty are relieved for failing to adequately recruit. A recruiter with a successful tour is retained and promoted. -— Master Gunnery Sergeant Preston E. Ford, career recruiter.In order to sustain the expeditionary force that has served our country in times of need around the world, the Marine Corps must find nearly 40,000 qualified men and women each year who are up to the challenge of becoming Marines. To support this requirement, approximately 1,200 Marines of sound character, skill, and poise are selected each year to recruit the next generation of Marines.The Marine Corps seeks its best for recruiting duty. Each year the Headquarters Recruiting Screening Team (HRST) visits Marine Corps installations to screen Marines for recruiting duty. Marines are judged on their mental, moral and physical qualities. Only the best are selected. It takes a special type of Marine to be a part of our successful team. It is a challenging duty, requiring discipline, determination and the right demeanor to be successful.Recruiting duty is not easy; it is a challenge. As with any fight worth fighting, the proper preparation can set the right tone for victory. To that end, the Marine Corps trains and prepares its recruiters with one of the most in-depth training programs to be found in the military or corporate world. From day one at Recruiters School through the completion of a successful tour, a recruiter receives continuous training. The education starts during the seven-week course at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. While there, future recruiters receive thorough training on planning, organization, and implementation of systematic recruiting. In addition, recruiters attend the same corporate level professional selling skills course that is used by many Fortune 500 corporations. These marketable skills have proven themselves over time as evidenced by the Marine Corps' continued success in recruiting. The Marine Corps has met its monthly contracting goals since July 1995; a record not matched by any other service. Once a recruiter graduates and moves on to his or her Recruiting Station (RS) the training will continue. Career Recruiters, contact teams and recruiter instructors train and assist canvassing recruiters daily."I feel that the training was extremely professional. There were a lot of proven performers as instructors who gave me the basics and the confidence to go out and hit the streets and talk to young people. Once you add your own personality into the training, then it falls together," said Gunnery Sergeant Brett Beard, Staff Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge (SNCOIC) of Marine Corps Recruiting Sub-Station, Mission Viejo, Calif.Beard, the 12th Marine Corps District, 2002 Recruiter of the Year, said the training is valuable beyond just recruiting duty. "What the instruction teaches is how to get at the basic needs and concerns of an individual. So it teaches interpersonal skills that you can use within any work environment or relationship, in the Marine Corps and beyond."Discipline for the recruiter can be a number of things. As a recruiter you may be operating far from the main Recruiting Station, in a small town or city. This independent duty requires you to manage your time accordingly by setting your own schedule. You will stand as a fitting example of what the Corps values most -- smart, tough, elite warriors. Often as one of the only Marines in a community, and possibly the first Marine a potential recruit will ever meet face-to-face, the eyes of many will be on you."Everything you say and do from the start must be consistent because you are often the 'first one in' when dealing with an applicant," said former recruiter, Staff Sgt. Wayne Kelly, Manpower Chief, Marine Corps Recruiting Command(MCRC). During his three years 'on the street' in Troy, Ala., Kelly found that the consistent image was the key to success. "Although you may be the first Marine a prospective applicant sees, you probably aren’t the first Marine a teacher or school administrator will have worked with. It is important that our recruiters have the integrity, honor and courage that all Marines should possess. From one recruiter to the next, teachers and community leaders see the same qualities in each Marine that their students might benefit from."To be a successful recruiter you must have determination; the type of determination that will help you take an applicant who is struggling to pass his initial strength test and send them off properly prepared for recruit training. Recruiters put in extra hours in search of one more applicant to make their monthly mission. They must stay on target and stay motivated to be successful. These are the same qualities that drive a Marine to accomplish any task he is given."When you hear that first 'no' it's just the beginning. I went into a high school facing a challenge. There were many restrictions on when and how I could approach the kids," said Kelly. "I kept going back and talking with the students, not just the seniors or the best qualified but also the ones who were not doing so well academically or socially. My persistence paid off. The staff began to support me and ease their restrictions. They saw that I wasn't just looking after myself; I was trying to help the students and the school. The year before I arrived on recruiting duty, the school had not produced any recruits. By the time I left, they were sending four to six seniors a year to the Marine Corps."Recruiting takes a certain type of individual; an individual with bearing, an open mind, and limitless leadership potential. Recruiters must have the right demeanor, a can-do optimism that makes them approachable and helps them guide and shape their pool of applicants. They must have the ability to win over a parent or an educator. The right type of attitude will open doors."Most importantly, recruiters must be flexible and capable of independent thought," said Col. Dan McManus, Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, MCRC. "Recruiters must be prepared to 'change the plan' and keep on marching."It is not a myth that recruiters put in long hours each week. That said, the phrase, "Made mission, gone fishing," holds true for recruiters who work hard and manage their time properly. The leadership of the Corps recognizes that recruiting duty is challenging, that is why several benefits are available to Marines serving in recruiting duty. From extra pay to choice of next duty assignment, even the opportunity for special promotion considerations, recruiting duty has much to offer a Marine. Recruiters receive $450 per month in special duty assignment pay; this is the highest special duty assignment pay authorized for any service member. Recruiting duty also offers stability for the family, as recruiters are non-deployable. Recruiters are represented at promotion boards by a member of MCRC, who explains the special nature of recruiting duty. Also, MCRC receives a number of meritorious promotion allocations each year for its top performing Marines.Marines who enjoy success on recruiting duty and wish to stay in the occupation field may apply to become a career recruiter. Recruiting then becomes their permanent Military Occupation Specialty (MOS), 8412, and they fill billets such as SNCOIC or Recruiter Instructor. The SNCOIC is responsible for the management of the localized recruiting substations and Recruiter Instructors are responsible for overall training of the recruiters within the Recruiting Station. For further advancement, career recruiters now have the opportunity to apply for a warrant officer program specialty. Those selected will be appointed warrant officers and assigned to a district as an operations officer."I benefited from opportunities in recruiting that have given me the exposure and the access to the billets that have propelled me to this point in my career," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 William Hanrahan, operations officer for RS Albany, 1st Marine Corps District (MCD). "I have been a recruiter, SNCOIC at a recruiting sub-station, operations chief, recruiter instructor, and recently a member of the 6th MCD contact team."Successful recruiters and career recruiters also hold key staff billets at the recruiting station, district, region and headquarters level.Beyond these very substantial benefits, there is also a very strong structure of support in place for Marines and their families while on recruiting duty. In spite of the fact that many recruiters are geographically stationed far from a military installation, a focus of MCRC is to ensure that Marines and their families still enjoy a Quality of Life (QOL) comparable to their fellow service members."Even though our Marines out there on independent duty may be assigned to an area without a local military base, they are still Marines and rate the same Quality of Life programs a base provides," said Elizabeth Simms, Deputy G-1, MCRC. "We must support and sustain Marines and their families on recruiting duty so that the Marines can stay focused on their very important mission."Marine Corps Recruiting Command has six recruiting district headquarters with QOL Coordinators in place to support to Marines and families. Each of the six districts has approximately 650 personnel assigned to them across hundreds of square miles. Working in conjunction with their respective Marine Corps Community Service (MCCS) Center and the communities where our personnel are located, the QOL coordinators are responsible for ensuring that Marines and their families receive the QOL programs established by the Marine Corps.Marines and their families are introduced to MCRC through the MCRC Welcome Aboard/Sponsorship Program. Members of the command and the Key Volunteer Network, a family support program, contact Marines and family members prior to their departure from their current duty station. A welcome aboard package that contains a booklet and a video about the command is mailed to the Marine and his or her family. When the new families arrive at their recruiting station, they are met by their sponsor and welcomed to the command by the commanding officer.Once at the recruiting station, Marines and their families can also take advantage of the 'home base' concept between all services. For those Marines who reside near a military installation (no matter what service) they can claim that installation as their 'home base.' In concert with the other services, the 'home base' concept was established to give additional support and as an additional incentive for Marines and their families coming on recruiting duty. For example, Marine families on recruiting duty will receive Priority II assignment to base housing, regardless of which service’s base is in the geographical area. Recruiters and their families also enjoy many other benefits and QOL initiatives, such as privileges at the exchange, commissary, medical and dental facilities, and recreational activities. Ultimately QOL is determined by each individual Marine, their family, and how they take advantage of the differences between recruiting and life in the fleet."Quality of life has been great," said Gunnery Sgt. Jessie Cornelius, a recruiter in Indianapolis, Ind. Cornelius, the 2002 Marine Corps Recruiter of the Year, finds that balancing duty and family is not as hard as it might seem for recruiters. "I include my family in as many activities as possible and together we are involved in the local community."Marine families on recruiting duty have access to many of the same family service programs available at Marine Corps bases; programs such as the Key Volunteer Network and Lifestyles, Insights, Networking and Skills (L.I.N.K.S.). In addition, the MCCS One Source system available on the internet at www.mccsonesource.com or by phone at 1-800-433-6868, brings MCCS information and services to Marines and their families regardless of their geographic location. MCRC also sponsors a spouses’ workshop each year for the spouses of the six district recruiters of the year who will compete for the Marine Corps Recruiter of the Year. They are briefed and provide feedback on MCRC programs and initiatives.Each year, the Commandant of the Marine Corps personally recognizes the Marine Recruiter, SNCOIC of the Year, and Officer Selection Officer of the Year. These individuals, selected through a board process at MCRC Headquarters, are chosen from the top recruiters and officer selection officers from each of the six districts. Their statistics and recruiting methods for the previous year are reviewed and a personal interview is conducted. Then, the winners are selected. Once selected as the Marine Corps Recruiter of the Year, the enlisted Marine is meritoriously promoted at a ceremony held by the Commandant.Recruiting duty is for Marines seeking to further their professional skills; it’s for Marines that seek faster promotion or career advancement. Marines interested in significant special duty pay or choice of assignment will find that in recruiting duty. Recruiters develop strong leadership skills, time management solutions, and corporate sales skills; qualities that make good leaders in the Corps. Recruiters have the pride of being the model Marine that a community admires. They are playing a direct role in helping find and shape the next generation of our Corps. If you think you are up to the challenge, visit the Marine Corps Recruiting Command Web site https://www.mcrc.usmc.mil for more information.
Marine Corps Recruiting Command