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LEESBURG, Va. -- The Marines who find the future officers of the Corps kicked off 2012 by reflecting on the past year during their annual conference in Leesburg, Va., Jan. 9-10.
Seventy-four officer selection officers -- including 39 from the Eastern Recruiting Region headquartered on Parris Island -- used the event to recognize success and compare notes on how they attacked one of their highest priorities.
“The biggest challenge for last year was diversity,” said Maj. Christian M. Kelley, assistant for officer procurement for 6th Marine Corps District, responsible for recruiting in the South.
After becoming commandant of the Marine Corps in 2010, Gen. James F. Amos directed recruiters to improve diversity throughout the officer ranks.
“The intent is to make the future of the Marine Corps mirror the future of American society,” said Capt. Connor Wentling, who works in the region’s officer procurement section.
During the conference, Amos re-emphasized the importance of building an officer force comparative to the demographics of the nation as a whole.
“We have a connectedness to the American people that no other service has,” said Amos in a video message. “A diverse force helps guarantee our connectedness to the American people.”
In 2011, the Corps surpassed its goal of 1,650 candidates by commissioning 1,663 officers. Of those, 85 were black, 122 Hispanic and 99 from other minority groups, according to a Marine Corps Recruiting Command article from September 2011.
The Marine Corps is increasing efforts to raise awareness of officer opportunities throughout diverse communities and colleges with traditionally higher numbers of minorities. As a result, the recruiters can provide selection boards with a competitive pool of applicants from all segments of society.
Beyond diversity, officer selection presents different challenges compared to enlisted recruiting.
“You need to be sure the person you are sending to (Officer Candidates School) is the right one,” said Brig. Gen. Daniel D. Yoo, commanding general of the Western Recruiting Region and Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. “You wouldn’t want to subject your Marines to being led by an unqualified person.”
Applicants are examined from a whole-person perspective, taking into account intangible characteristics such as moral character and leadership ability, besides just test scores and physical fitness.
“The quality that we’re getting of our young candidates is off the charts,” said Brig. Gen. Lori Reynolds, depot commanding general who also leads the region, which includes most of the country east of the Mississippi River.
The conference allowed officers to share their individual experiences on what worked and ideas on how to be successful in 2012, said Kelley.
“Overall, it was a good experience,” said Wentling. “It provides an opportunity for all the OSOs in the country to get together and meet one another.”
“That kind of bonding is productive,” echoed Kelley.
Across the country, the Marine Corps operates 72 offices focused on recruiting officers. Since a commission requires at least a bachelor’s degree, most of these offices are located in large college towns. While officers make up approximately 10 percent of active-duty Marines, only about 4 percent of the recruiting force is focused on officer selection.
“Remember that what the Corps does is that we make Marines and we win battles. There’s a very small number of our Corps who are responsible for making Marines, and an even smaller number who are responsible for marking Marine officers,” said Reynolds, who once served as commanding officer of Recruiting Station Harrisburg in Pennsylvania.
The top officer from each of the ERR’s three districts received awards at the conference for stellar performance in 2011. Capt. Jeffrey Potter from Hyattsville, Md., earned first place for 4th district. Capt. Ryan Romasko from Orlando, Fla., won second for 6th district, and from 1st district, Capt. Matthew Cooney from Officer Selection Station Manhattan North in New York took third.
“What you are doing to further the Corps is so important. I’m not forgetting that,” said Reynolds.
Editor’s Note: Staff writer Lance Cpl. Javarre Glanton and Lance Cpl. David Flynn with Marine Corps Recruit Command public affairs contributed to this report.
| Date Taken: | 02.09.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 02.09.2012 13:20 |
| Story ID: | 83590 |
| Location: | LEESBURG, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 204 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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