MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA - There are approximately 3,900 Marines serving as recruiters; of those recruiters, only one could be named Prior Service Recruiter of the Year. Gunnery Sgt. John L. Johnson is that prior service recruiter (PSR).
Within Marine Corps Recruiting Command (MCRC) there were four Marines recognized as the best in recruiting. The award was part of the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Combined Awards Program 2018, which recognized outstanding Marines in special duty assignments.
“These Marines are the top Marines out of 3,900,” said Col. William Gray, G-3 operations officer for MCRC. “They are the very best in MCRC; the very best in the Marine Corps.”
Johnson, a PSR in Prior Service Recruiting Substation (PSRSS) North Versailles, Philadelphia 1st Marine Corps District, enlisted into the Marine Corps in July 2001. His first military occupational specialty (MOS) was air traffic control navigational aids tech in the Marine Corps Reserves. Johnson then moved into the active reserve (AR) program as a supply administrative Marine. Additionally, during a pre-deployment training for Marine Corps Reserve units named Quantico Viper, Johnson became a machine gunner due to a training shortfall for instructors. Shortly after picking up staff sergeant, Johnson was screened for recruiting duty.
According to Johnson, his success in recruiting is due in part to his unit and the Marines he works with. He often helps out other recruiters by taking appointments for applicants when the other recruiters are unavailable.
“My team works as a cohesive unit,” said Johnson.
Johnson works alongside many Marines who have worked in recruiting for a long period of time including Maj. Charles C. Larson III, the officer in charge of 1st Marine Corps District prior service recruiting.
“Recruiters, regardless of MOS or experience, have never experienced the stress, friction and demand of recruiting,” said Larson, “I have interacted with multiple Marines whom I thought upon first impression would dominate recruiting, who struggled, and likewise I have met numerous Marines whom I initially thought would struggle, but they did not.”
Upon arrival, Larson thought Johnson would struggle due to the demand of his assigned sector.
“Johnson had a goal to become successful,” said Larson. “He researched what needed to get done in order to accomplish his goal and after research he knew exactly what was needed in order to execute his goal.”
Looking forward, upon completion of his recruiting tour, Johnson hopes to move to a regiment to be the supply chief.