Marine Corps Reserve Officer Manpower Modifications During the Long War: A Case to Achieve Parity with the Active Component

摘要

The Marine Corps Reserve has served the nation well during the Long War and will continue to provide significant contributions to the Total Force in the future. To be more effective as commanders and leaders, reserve officers need to achieve parity with active duty officers in rank and command selection through education, leadership experiences, and training opportunities. Combining the promotion and command selection boards with the active component is the first step in achieving parity. Further, the reserve commander needs to achieve unity of command within his unit by being mobilized for that position and conducting a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move with his family for the duration of the period of command. Second, policy modification would reflect that the reserve officer does not necessarily need to be promoted at the pace of the active component and could remain in the reserves as a captain or major without being forced out because of time in service and time in grade requirements. With the policy modification, the newly instituted National Security Personnel System (NSPS) pay system would be authorized to compensate reserve offices who are engaged in the Select Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR). Using the NSPS pay system prevents this group of reserve officers from being penalized monetarily because they have not attained the requisite experience, education, or training to serve successfully in the next billet. Third, the Marine Corps needs to put forth an increased effort to recruit officers into the reserve force. The informative education will help familiarize the career officer with the reserve force so he or she can intelligently advise young officers of their opportunities in the reserves, should the young officer desire to enter the reserves. The increased pool of qualified officers in the Marine Corps Reserves will improve the availability of officers to serve in critical positions in support of the nation.