Career planner visits 23rd Marines during support to Operation Allies Welcome

Photo By Lance Cpl. David Intriago | Gunnery Sgt. Samuel Espinosa, a career planner with Headquarters Company, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, gives a career opportunities brief to the Marines of 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, at Fort Pickett, Virginia at Jan. 11, 2022. The Department of Defense, through the U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan personnel essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David Intriago)  

FORT PICKETT , VA, UNITED STATES

01.15.2022

Story by 1st Lt. Gregory Dreibelbis 

Operation Allies Welcome - Operation Allies Refuge   

Marines with 23rd Marine Regiment met with the regimental career planner for career counseling and re-enlistment paperwork while supporting Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) at Fort Pickett, Virginia, Jan. 10-13.

As Reserve Marines provide transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for Afghan evacuees as a part of Task Force Pickett, 23rd Marines is also using the time to complete training events, professional military education, and administrative tasks.

For a Reserve unit that typically drills once a month and has one annual training period of two weeks in a year, the time together is invaluable.

“This mobilization has been beneficial in a lot of ways for our unit and our Marines,” said Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Wolan, 23rd Marines Sgt. Maj. “For a lot of our Marines, this is their first experience providing support to a real-world mission, but we’ve also had a lot of time together to complete training and continue to build camaraderie and cohesion within the unit.”

Gunnery Sgt. Samuel Espinosa, who was just recognized as the Fiscal Year 21 Active Reserve Career Planner Staff Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, briefed approximately 80 Marines and conducted individual counseling with almost 70 Marines. Espinosa, as well as Sgt. Devin Ruiz, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines career planner, also processed re-enlistment paperwork and submissions for lateral moves for Marines interested in changing their job field.

As career planners for the Reserve Component, Espinosa and Ruiz rarely have the opportunity to directly interact with large groups of Marines. During their visit to Marines supporting OAW, they briefed and met with as many Marines in a three-day span as they would typically see in three to five drill weekend visits.

“As a career planner this trip is valuable because it brings all the Marines to one location so we’re able to make much more contact with Marines. It provides a prime opportunity where we can engage and help Marines,” said Espinosa.

Espinosa and Ruiz were also able to engage directly with company and battalion level leadership to ensure Marines’ career counseling needs were met and questions could be answered.

In November of 2021, General David Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, released “Talent Management 2030,” a document detailing the Marine Corps’ need to evolve its talent management system. As career planners, Espinosa and Ruiz are on the front lines of an effort to “…incentivize the most talented and high performing individuals to remain with the organization.”

Face-to-face counseling and interaction at OAW allowed Espinosa and Ruiz to continue an effort to match Marines’ talents to their duties, ensuring 23rd Marines is ready to augment and reinforce the Active Component at a moment’s notice.

• Date Taken: 01.15.2022
• Date Posted: 01.15.2022 09:14
• Story ID: 412959
• Location: FORT PICKETT , VA, US