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CAMP HANSEN — For Marines nearing the end of active service, it's time to face the issue of staying in or getting out.
With a failing economy and declining job market in the United States, re-enlisting is a decision all Marines should consider, said Staff Sgt. Nishman N. Huffman, the career planner for Headquarters and Service Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Butler.
"The economy is unstable right now, and steady jobs are harder to attain," Huffman said. "A lot of times, a Marine will get out and later realize he misses having a guaranteed paycheck on the first and fifteenth of each month."
According to an employment situation summary released by the United States Department of Labor in November, there were 15.4 million unemployed people in the United States, and the unemployment rate hit 10 percent. In the months prior, job losses averaged 135,000 a month.
Employment fell in construction, manufacturing and information industries, while jobs in temporary help services and health care increased.
People working part-time jobs for economic reasons numbered 9.2 million. These individuals worked part-time because their hours at another job had been cut back or they were unable to find a full-time job, according to the release.
Knowledge of this economic crisis tempts some service members to reenlist.
Sgt. Kenneth Buffer, a supply clerk with the Provost Marshall's Office, H & S Battalion, Marine Corps Base, hadn't always planned to reenlist, but as economic issues rose in the United States, Buffer's concern for the financial security of his wife and infant daughter increased.
"With the way things are looking with the economy now, I can't get out and not have a way to support my family," said Buffer.
Marines reenlist for numerous economic reasons, Huffman said, pointing out that financial stability, education benefits, healthcare benefits and a steady paycheck appeal to most service members.
For those who don't plan on reenlisting, it is important to have a plan to ensure a smooth transition into the civilian world.
"Education and experience is the key," Huffman said. "Having a college degree will better your chances of obtaining a job once you are discharged. It's also a good idea to have a job lined up prior to your end of active service date."
Service members who plan to reenlist should start making moves at least a year from their EAS dates, Huffman said.
"It's harder to get back into the service once you get out," he explained.
According to the 2009 Marine Corps Concepts and Programs manual, the Corps continues to retain enlisted Marines, both first term and subsequent term careerists, but seeks to keep only its best-qualified Marines.
"It is a competition to stay in the Marine Corps, because you will be looked at alongside everyone else in your field trying to reenlist," Huffman said.
Once Marines decide they want to reenlist, they must be screened for qualification.
They do this by submitting a Reenlistment/Extension/Lateral Move request.
The RELM request is a four-page document that covers all prerequisites for retention, including proficiency and conduct marks, duty station options, records checks and personal recommendations from the Marine's command.
The request goes through a career planner and is sent to Headquarters Marine Corps. The career planner is then able to track the request.
| Date Taken: | 01.14.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 01.14.2010 19:53 |
| Story ID: | 43847 |
| Location: | CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 285 |
| Downloads: | 232 |
This work, U.S. economy makes Marines consider re-enlistment options more seriously, by Cpl Antwain Graham, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
