Corps offering cash for new Reserve officers

[unhappycamper]

Corps offering cash for new Reserve officers
By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jun 14, 2008 7:30:14 EDT

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — The Corps is looking for newly commissioned Reserve infantry officers — and is willing to pay a $4,000 incentive to get them.

Before attending Officer Candidate School, officer candidates must sign an agreement to accept a commission in the Selective Marine Corps Reserve and serve as an infantry officer with a Marine Forces Reserve Unit, according to Marine administrative message 317/08.

“Historically, we’ve had a shortage in the Selected Marine Corps Reserve of company-grade officers,” said Maj. Henry Parrish, the officer in charge of promotions, incentives and training of the Corps’ Reserve affairs division. “This year is the first year we’ve actually focused on trying to access combat-arms officers, because there’s a shortage within the shortage.”

The SMCR needs 299 company-grade infantry officers, but only 85 with that military occupational specialty are on hand, Parrish said. The 214-officer shortage means lieutenants and captains from other specialties must fill those spots.

Second lieutenants aren’t easy to come by in the SMCR because the force’s company-grade officers typically come from the active component, meaning they’ve had four years to pick up rank. That’s left the SMCR trying to fill entry-level officer billets with fresh OCS graduates.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/06/marine_SMCR_060708w/