Small Unit Leadership Initiative promoted more than 1,600 corporals in FY23

Photo By Sgt. Hannah Adams | U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jacklyn Gomez-Vega, an administrative specialist with Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, Marine Forces Command, Marine Forces Northern Command, Headquarters and Service Battalion, celebrates meritoriously promoting to the rank of sergeant at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads, Virginia, May 18, 2023. A meritorious promotion is based on the individual Marines ability to take on the responsibilities and duties of a higher grade in an effective manner. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Hannah Adams)  

QUANTICO, VA, UNITED STATES

12.15.2023

Story by 2nd Lt. Allyssa McByers 

HQMC Manpower and Reserve Affairs

QUANTICO, Va. — The United States Marine Corps announced the launch of the Small Unit Leadership Initiative (SULI) in a release of Marine Administrative Message (MARADMIN) 225/23 Apr. 28, 2023. The program aims to identify, retain, and promote the highest-performing and most committed Marines to build a mature force that meets the demands of a complex future operating environment. The program is part of an effort to rebalance recruiting and retention in the Talent Management 2030 campaign.

In 2019, the Marine Corps changed the time-in-grade (TIG) requirement for promotion to sergeant from 24 months to no earlier than 48 months. This change was implemented to better align the minimum time-in-service (TIS) and TIG promotion requirements with the Marine Corps’ established promotion plans, standardize the promotion rate across the force, and allow commanders to select high performers for early advancement through the meritorious promotion process. This change, however, contributed to a shortage of more than 2,700 sergeants in the service.

On Mar. 24, 2022, Battalion Landing Team 2/6 was announced as the winner of the Manpower Modernization Challenge, which invited Marines and civilians across the Marine Corps to provide innovative recommendations to improve retention. The landing teams’ winning proposal became codified as SULI.

The SULI program allows high-performing, committed, first-term corporals to be promoted to sergeant. To be eligible, Marines must be recommended by the first O-5 commander in the Marine’s chain of command, have at least 36 months TIS, have reenlisted, have completed all required professional military education, and have met the junior enlisted performance evaluation system promotion cutoff score for the month in which promoted.

Since its introduction “the SULI program improved the sergeant shortage by allowing over 1,657 corporals to be promoted earlier,” says Lane Beindorf, a civilian enlisted promotions plans officer with the manpower plans branch. The SULI has resulted in the Marine Corps meeting 98% of its promotion goal for the E-5 grade, a 10% increase from last year and a 12% increase from its lowest point in FY2021.

The SULI program incentivizes Marines to finish their courses and requirements to make themselves more competitive. By taking initiative, Marines are given the opportunity to chart their path. Maj. John Fuoss, an operations officer for the manpower plans branch, explained the program’s impact on one of his Marines.

“One of my corporals from 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, used this program,” said Fuoss. “By opting into the program, he took some of the agency back into his own hands. He communicated with the monitor, got promoted, and because of that, he is doing what he wanted to do next.”

A recent improvement to the program is that a Marine’s command is not required to manually screen and validate a Marine’s eligibility. Marines who are eligible will automatically be considered for promotion. This change decreases the potential for administrative errors causing delays in promotions and improves the ability to meet retention goals.

The objective of Talent Management is to maximize the number of trained, experienced, qualified, and deplorable Marines in the Fleet Marine Force. The SULI program achieves this by giving high-performing, committed, first-term corporals an opportunity to be promoted early and fill critical roles in the service. Retention of high-performing Marines is vital for the Marine Corps to meet its objective of remaining a force in readiness.

• Date Taken: 12.15.2023
• Date Posted: 02.23.2024 10:36
• Story ID: 460087
• Location: QUANTICO, VA, US