11/19/2009
By Lance Cpl. Lucas G. Lowe, Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marines still on their first term of active duty received a re-enlistment brief Tuesday at Little Hall as part of a Manpower Management Enlisted Assignments command visit to Marine Corps Base Quantico.
Capt. Alixa Dones, the first term alignment planning officer with MMEA at Headquarters Marine Corps, briefed Marines on the opportunities re-enlistment offers, including special duty assignments, bonuses and the chance to take on more leadership roles.
"It's important that Marines realize there's much more to the Marine Corps than they can see in just four years," said Dones.
"After four years, it's no longer about falling into formation," she said. "It's about facing the formation as a leader of Marines. That should be the new re-enlistment campaign slogan."
Staff Sgt. Melbin Medina, the staff noncommissioned officer in charge of recruiting for Marine Special Operations Command in Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., followed Dones with a presentation on behalf of the MARSOC community.
"Marines often say that the stuff we [MARSOC] do is the type of thing they imagined they would be doing when they first joined the Marine Corps," said Medina.
Re-enlistees who qualify receive a $25,000 bonus upon graduating from a MARSOC operational school, according to the presentation.
Marines who wish to laterally move to a different military occupational specialty were advised to retake the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. Doing this, Dones said, will help Marines become qualified for the occupational fields they want to enter.
"First-term Marines have had a lot of time to mature since they took the
ASVAB before they enlisted," she explained.
The last brief Marines received was on embassy security guard duty, a unique opportunity for Marines to travel abroad.
Pfc. David E. Shropshire, who has a year left on his first term, was already planning to re-
enlist when he attended the brief. He said the presentation reinforced his decision.
"I'm re-enlisting for the opportunity to [laterally move] to another MOS," said Shropshire. "It's good to know I can experience more than just what I've done in Quantico."
The question whether or not to re-enlist can weigh heavily, on some more than others. However, whether a Marine serves for four years or 20, the decision to stay in or get out needs to be based on sound knowledge of the facts.
"The Corps needs experienced Marines," summarized Dones at the end of the brief. "Make your decision whether or not to re-enlist an informed one."
Correspondent: lucas.lowe@usmc.mil
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