More Marines are staying in the Corps past their first contract than at any other time in the last 14 years.
The Marine Corps is nearing the end of Fiscal Year 2024 with the highest number of first-term Marines who have reenlisted since 2010, Corps officials announced on Monday.
The increase in retention reflects a change in the Marine Corps’ strategy from “recruit and replace” to one that aims to “invest and retain” the most capable Marines, a Corps news release says.
Traditionally, about three-quarters of Marines who enlist do not stay in the Corps beyond their first contract. But in recent years the Marine Corps has sought to create a more mature force by convincing more “first-term” Marines to reenlist.
“One goal of Talent Management is maturing the force, which begins with ensuring our highly qualified first-term enlisted Marines have the opportunity to reenlist and ‘Stay Marine,’” said Maj. Melissa Spencer, a spokeswoman for Manpower & Reserve affairs.
So far this fiscal year, a total of 7,947 first-term Marines have reenlisted, and that means the Marine Corps has met 114% of its retention goal for Marines on their first contract, Spencer told Task & Purpose on Monday. Fiscal Year 2024 ends on Sept. 30.
By way of comparison, the Marine Corps retained a total of 7,082 first-term enlisted Marines in Fiscal Year 2023, she said.
Subscribe to Task & Purpose today. Get the latest military news and culture in your inbox daily.
The first-term Marine reenlistments helped the Corps exceed its overall retention goals for this fiscal year, according to Monday’s news release. The Corps also retained about 5,700 Marines who have reenlisted multiple times, known as “subsequent-term Marines.”
The Marine Corps created several incentives this fiscal year to boost retention, including selective retention bonuses for certain military occupational specialties and more opportunities for Marines to make lateral career moves, according to the news release.
“We continue to maintain our high standards and exceeded our end strength requirement through successful retention and recruiting efforts,” said Lt. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte, the deputy commandant for Manpower & Reserve Affairs. “Our retention success increased the health of our delayed entry program for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Retaining high-quality Marines and civilians is a key part of the Marine Corps’ strategy to transform itself into a force that can compete against near-peer adversaries, such as China, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith wrote in his most recent planning guidance, which was issued in August.
The Marine Corps has made significant changes into how it recruits and retains Marines as part of its Talent Management 2030 plan, Smith wrote.
“A key component of this is our Talent Management Engagement Platform (TMEP) that provides our Marines a more personally responsive and transparent system for assignments,” Smith wrote.
“I am proud of the initiatives that are underway which give Marines more predictability during the orders process, transparency with their monitors, improved personnel management systems, financial incentives to those who volunteer for a Special Duty Assignment, and bonuses for lateral moves into certain Military Occupational Specialties.”
Smith noted in his planning guidance that both active duty and Reserve officers can opt out of consideration for promotion without harming their careers, allowing them to pursue other educational and career opportunities.
“This effort will expand throughout the total force in the years ahead,” Smith wrote. “We will maintain the trajectory of Talent Management and continue to remind our Marines why they decided to join our Corps in the first place.”
The latest on Task & Purpose
- Four Marines trained an Air Force base to take the Marine Corps fitness test. The Air Force gave them medals for it.
- A guide to the shoulder tabs Army soldiers wear on their uniforms
- The A-10 era is over for this legendary Air Force attack squadron
- This USS Abraham Lincoln sailor proudly wears ‘E-4 Mafia’ patch
- Free Wi-Fi in the barracks, and other quality-of-life improvements coming to all branches