Marines Sign Up for Mission, Mystique, General Says

American Forces Press Service ^ | Gerry J. Gilmore

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2008 – The Marine Corps’ mission and mystique continue to attract high-quality recruits who join up to fight America’s enemies, that service’s senior officer said here today.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway (right) discusses military issues with National Journal Magazine correspondent and author James Kitfield (center) and Timothy B. Clark, editor-in-chief of Government Executive Magazine, during a Government Executive-sponsored event at the National Press Club, Feb. 14, 2008. Photo by Gerry J. Gilmore  
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

All of the military services continue to meet their recruiting quotas. Yet, while some services offer recruiting bonuses or other monetary enticements, the Marines’ warrior image is the key factor that convinces sufficient numbers of young people to enlist in the Corps, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway said at a breakfast event hosted by Government Executive Magazine at the National Press Club.

“Our theme is that you are going to be a Marine if you get through training successfully,” Conway explained. “You are going to fight for your country; you should not have any doubt about that.”

The Marines are to add about 5,000 additional recruits each year as part of efforts over the next several years to bring up the service’s total active-duty strength to around 202,000 members, Conway said. Last year, he noted, the Corps signed up 7,000 of these additional enlistees.

Asked about other services’ practices of paying bonuses to attract recruits, Conway responded that the Marines “purposely are not doing it.”

Recruiters in the field tell him bonuses aren’t necessary to attract good recruits, Conway explained. In fact, he added, recruiters also said they tell prospects who want a signing bonus to inquire at the other military services.

The general said his staff noncommissioned officers are adamant in the advice they give him on the subject. They say, “Please Sir, don’t start throwing money at people. One, we can’t compete. And secondly, that’s not the kind of individual we’re looking for,” the Marine Corps commandant said.

The general praised the Marines’ sister services and emphasized that he wasn’t disparaging their important contributions to the nation’s defense.

It’s just that the Marine Corps is different, he said.

Joining the Marines is a way of life and “an emblem” of duty to country, Conway said. The Marine Corp’s fighting ability and its unique eagle, globe and anchor insignia are known worldwide.

A person who joins the Marines is required to provide an intense level of dedication to the Corps, Conway pointed out. In return, the Marine Corps strives to take good care of its members. For example, a Conway-championed initiative now provides the free-of-charge issue of the Corp’s distinctive dress uniform to recruits at boot camp. Previously, Marines had to pay for the expensive uniform out of their own pockets.

Although recruiting bonuses aren’t part of his service’s lexicon, the Marines “are paying large amounts of money to keep people” in the Corps, Conway pointed out.

“Once we get a Marine in (and) we get to know him or her and like them, our re-enlistment bonuses probably compete with anybody’s,” the general said.

[neodad]

Plus, chicks dig Marines.

[TomasUSMC]

It’s just that the Marine Corps is different, he said

---

Yep like Gold is different from copper.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

It is truly ironic that Marines hold such an odd position in international law. Many countries have uniformed forces they call “marines” specifically because there are lots of situations where nations are *only* allowed to have “marines”, not any other uniformed force, in certain roles.

The US is almost unique in that our Marines only do the “marines only” missions as a secondary or tertiary mission going back to the 19th Century, with their primary mission still being as a vital combat force in our armed forces.

Even more ironic are the ceremonial missions demanding large numbers of US Marines that existed, prior to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was to cheers that many US Marines were finally relieved of these duties so they could finally go into battle, and do what they really wanted to do. Even late in the game, a large percentage of the USMC hadn’t been given the opportunity to be in those theaters, and the vast majority were thrilled to finally have the opportunity to do so.

[Griddlee]

It's just that the Marine Corps is different

It's nice that Marines have a little more respect for soldiers in Bush's Army than they did when I was a doggie in Truman's miserable Army in Korea

"At least the Chinese Army will be there in the morning, unlike the US Army" ---Chesty Puller

[xkaydet65]

Interesting to read about Marines not deployed to Stan or Iraq. The fiancee of my daughter’s best friend was coming up on the end of his enlistment and had gotten no closer toIraq or Stan than Okinawa. With five months left he inquired if he could deploy and was told he was too short time. He reupped and will be deploying next month for a fuul tour in Iraq.

[ASOC]

Sounds like the old AIRBORNE poster

People don’t join the Airborne because we are different -
They join because they are different.

One doesn’t join the Marines, you become a Marine.

I asked my son why he enlisted in the Corps (I’m retired USAF) - he laughed - said he wanted better war stories than I had.....with tours in Iraq (2X) Cuba, Africa and a swing thru South America

Someday, he might even share some of the more ‘interesting’ ones with me.......pretty scary stuff I have heard about - second hand from our other children.

[BBell]

Credit must be given to Al Grey. The post Vietnam Marine Corp sucked before General Grey took over. He turned us around and made us the fighting force we are today!

[BBell]

Forgive me Al, for I misspelled your last name. It should be Gray.

[Irishguy]

the marines are playing the elite card i guess...and i think its a smart move to be honest....

as it happens a few weeks ago my dad who is 78 and myself were watching 2 programmes back to back on the pacific war and the current iraq one. he remarked on something i had not really noticed until he mentioned it...

he sees the same focus and committment in the eyes of marines today in iraq as he did in the pacific heros...if you get a chance pick any 2 documentaries and you will see it...the heros today are cut from the same cloth as the heros of yesterday....all i know is thank God they are on our side...

story 2 ..i worked a few years back with a guy who had spent a long time on the marines before moving to business. I asked him for a funny story and he retold one which i am sure people have heard but he swore to me he overheard it...

acolonel showing a wargames had soem delegate from somewhere asked why during a training mission why the marines were not flanking a position, the reply from the marine colonel overseeing the war games and in the classic deadpan style was ‘marines dont do flanking’..

BAWHAHAHAHA....priceless...absolutely priceless...

[A.A. Cunningham]

Even more ironic are the ceremonial missions demanding large numbers of US Marines that existed, prior to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What exactly are you referring to?

[A.A. Cunningham]

You also misspelled Corps.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

It was news a while back. The Marine Corps Commander directed the redeployment of Marines so they could have combat service.

I think the largest group on ceremonial duty, on or about company sized, was guarding the tomb of John Paul Jones at Annapolis, and was replaced by cadets.

This came after his discovery that a large percentage of Marines had never been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, whereas some had been deployed repeatedly. So he did an analysis of who hadn’t gone but could and started cutting orders.

The consensus was that this was a major morale boost all around.

The one area that wasn’t mentioned was Marines in embassy protection services. Again, this is one of those special international duties that can only be done by Marines, by treaty.

I suspect that he also probably sought to change their rotation policy, so that even embassy guards would get their chance, but that’s just a guess.