That, he said, would help fill a deficit of Marines with five years to nine years in service. Instead, he has talked about providing bonuses to retain Marines in order to keep them from leaving after their first tour. That’s your bonus, right? There’s no dollar amount that goes with that.”

“The reason that we don’t get bonuses? Your bonus is you get to call yourself a Marine. We don’t give recruit bonuses,” he said, noting there are some exceptions for individuals with very special skills. “Some say we should be giving out recruiting bonuses. Still, Smith, in February, dismissed the need to provide large bonuses in order to attract new recruits. unemployment and steep competition from private industry, This year the Marine Corps is expected to be the only service to meet its recruiting goal, though leaders still worry about the ongoing challenge. Smith was promoted to four-star general in 2021 and took over as assistant commandant, where he has focused on recruiting, retention and managing the development of Marine forces.Īll the military services have been struggling to meet their recruiting goals amid low U.S. The plan was lauded by many in the Pentagon and Congress as a critical way for the Marines to prepare for a potential conflict with China. In that post, Smith worked with Berger on a broad campaign to transform the Marine Corps to better be able to fight amphibious wars in the Pacific after years of battling terrorist groups in the Middle East. He later was the senior military adviser to Defense Secretary Ash Carter and in in 2019 took over as the deputy commandant for combat development. Smith, a career infantry officer, has commanded at every level, serving multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, including time in Fallujah and Ramadi during heavy combat in 20 in Operation Iraq Freedom. David Berger, is wrapping up his four-year term and preparing to retire. Eric Smith, now the assistant commandant, had been widely expected and has been forwarded to the Senate. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden has nominated a highly decorated Marine officer who has been involved in the transformation of the force to be the next Marine Corps commandant.

Download kolibri marine