‘The Few, the Proud’ aren’t so few: Marines recruiting surges while other services struggle

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Marine recruitment is thriving while other branches of the military are facing challenges in attracting new recruits. Marine Col. Jennifer Nash, an experienced combat engineer, recently made a commitment to her fellow officers to secure two new recruiting contacts during a dinner in Atlanta. Though recruiting was not their initial career choice, the Marines have a tradition of assigning their best, battle-tested personnel to enlistment duty, which has proven effective.

Unlike the active-duty Army, Navy, and Air Force, the Marines are confident they will meet their recruiting target this year. The other services are struggling in the competitive job market, as many young people who meet the military’s physical, mental, and moral standards are opting for higher-paying jobs in the private sector.

Marine leadership attributes their successful recruiting efforts to the strategic selection of top-performing Marines for recruiting roles. Additionally, they have increased the number of recruiters and expedited their return to high schools for in-person recruiting, which was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brig. Gen. Walker Field, who oversees the Eastern recruiting region, expects his recruiters to meet their mission, with 30% of their 2024 goal accomplished by the start of the next fiscal year. The Marine Corps as a whole anticipates achieving its recruiting target of over 33,000.

One advantage the Marines have is their smaller recruiting goal compared to the Army, which allows them to focus on quality over quantity. The Army, for instance, has set a recruiting goal of 65,000 recruits, nearly double that of the Marines.

However, one of the main challenges the Marine Corps faces is the academic test, Armed Services Voluntary Aptitude Battery, which some Marine hopefuls struggle to pass. The Army has implemented a program to help recruits with low test scores improve, but the Marines have not adopted a similar formal improvement program yet.

The Marines are adjusting their recruiting stations based on population changes from the latest census. Moreover, they maintain their emphasis on selecting the right recruiters, encouraging successful ones to stay in the role, and increasing the number of Marine reservists involved in recruit duties.

Recruiting command jobs are hand-picked, and the Corps places their best and brightest in these positions. These selected individuals have a track record of success and exhibit crucial leadership skills.

While other services offer increasing bonuses to attract recruits, the Marines have refrained from doing so. Instead, they prefer to distribute moderate bonuses to a larger number of recruits rather than a substantial amount to a select few.

The Marines have seen success in recruiting this year due, in part, to their recruiters returning to high schools after pandemic restrictions were lifted. The allure of being a Marine, as well as engaging activities like pull-up contests, has drawn the interest of many young people.

In conclusion, the Marine Corps’ focus on quality personnel, strategic recruitment efforts, and returning to in-person recruiting activities have contributed to their success in attracting new recruits, while other services face difficulties in meeting their recruitment goals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Recruiting

More about Recruiting

• “Marine Corps” – Link to Marine Corps website
• “Armed Services Voluntary Aptitude Battery” – Link to ASVAB information
• “COVID-19 pandemic impact on military recruiting” – Link to news article
• “Marine Corps recruiting strategy” – Link to recruiting strategy details
• “Recruitment challenges in the military” – Link to challenges faced by military recruitment