Photo Information

With more than 40 years of service between them, brothers Master Gunnery Sgt. William Farr, left, and Sgt. Maj. Dwayne Farr, right, pose with Major Gen. Walter E. Gaskin, commanding general, MCRC. Sgt. Maj. Dwayne Farr wore his ceremonial kilt during a post and relief ceremony aboard MCB, Quantico, Va. The Farrs are assigned to the same command for the first time in their careers. The Farr brothers are confident they will help the Recruiting Command meet its national recruiting goal for fiscal year 2006. They will provide the necessary support to the Marine recruiters on the streets of America who talk with young men and women about the opportunities in the Marine Corps.

Photo by SSgt. Marc R. Ayalin

Detroit brothers reunite at recruiting conference

2 Jun 2006 | Cpl. T. J. Kaemmerer Marine Corps Recruiting Command

Many of America’s young men and women serving in the Marine Corps have a strong sense of “family” with those serving next to them.

William and Dwayne Farr, two Marines serving the recruiting effort, have shared that feeling since birth.

Master Gunnery Sgt. William Farr III, 44, rarely has the opportunity to spend time with his younger brother.  When Sgt. Maj. Dwayne Farr, 40, attended the Marine Corps Recruiting Command Sergeants Major conference here, the brothers welcomed the time to catch up with each other.

“It’s great to be able to see him while I’m here,” said Sgt. Maj. Farr, senior enlisted advisor, Recruiting Station San Diego, 12th Marine Corps Recruiting District.  “We usually only get to see each other every couple of years when we both go home to see the family on the eastside of Detroit.”

As close as the brothers are, however, they still disagree on a story from the past.

“When my brother was getting ready to graduate from high school he brought home a bunch of recruiting posters and pamphlets from all the services,” said the sergeant major.  “We were looking through them and the Marine Corps uniform really caught my eye. I asked him which one was the toughest, he told me the Marines were and I told him, ‘That’s the one!’  I chose the Marine Corps for him.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!”

Master Gunnery Sgt. Farr, staff non-commissioned officer in charge and operations chief, Prior Service Recruiting section, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, remembered it a little differently.

“I don’t know if I agree with his story,” he said.  “I already had my mind made up.  I never considered any other branch of the service.  There’s no question about that. I didn’t even do ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) in high school because it was an Army ROTC, not Marines.”

The brothers may remember things differently, but each said they have the utmost respect for each other.

“My brother has been my mentor since day one,” Sgt. Maj. Farr explained.  “Even before I stepped on the yellow footprints at San Diego, he has been my guide.”

Respect between the brothers is a two-way street.

“Dwayne is the most squared away Marine I know,” said the older brother, who is a career recruiter with more than 17 years in the recruiting force.  “He’s very dedicated to his job and his family.  He sets the bar high then exceeds all of his goals.  That’s exactly what we should do as Marines.”

The brothers both agree on the fact that they wouldn’t be in the positions they’re in now if it hadn’t been for the style in which they were raised.  Their single father, William Farr, Jr., raised five children on his own.  He raised them in a rough Detroit neighborhood and kept their lives very structured, similar to the style of the military.  He also taught them the values they hold dear today.

“Our father instilled some great leadership traits in us growing up in the environment we did,” Master Gunnery Sgt. Farr said.  “We call him the ‘Trainer of Marines.’  He was never in uniform, but he made us who we are today.”

The Farr brothers have more than 40 years of combined service and both have achieved the pinnacle of the enlisted rank structure, but they have never been stationed together.  They are very excited now that they both belong to MCRC.

“This is the first time we both fall under the same command,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Farr.  “We’re still not stationed in the same area, but I’m sure there will be plenty of occasions for us to get together at command events.”

The Farr brothers are confident they will help the Recruiting Command meet its national recruiting goal for fiscal year 2006.  They will provide the necessary support to the Marine recruiters on the streets of America who talk with young men and women about the opportunities in the Marine Corps.

Marine Corps Recruiting Command