RTR meritoriously promotes 11 staff NCOs

30 Jul 2004 | Lance Cpl. Brian Kester Marine Corps Training and Education Command

Earning a living as a drill instructor, recruiter or Marine security guard can be tough, that is why the Marine Corps offers various incentive plans for those who choose those career paths. Incentives such as semi-annual meritorious promotions can leave some prospects salivating.

For 11 drill instructors aboard the Depot, those incentive plans paid dividends as they all achieved meritorious promotion July 13.

Out of the 11 total, the Recruit Training Regiment saw nine sergeants promoted to staff sergeant and two staff sergeants to gunnery sergeant.

"Drill instructor duty is such a strenuous and arduous duty that they offer these incentives to try and get Marines to volunteer for it," said Master Gunnery Sgt. Joel Warrick, Depot Administrative chief. "Right now, we don't go out and pick people to do drill instructor duty, it is all volunteer."

The decision to become a drill instructor is one that is a voluntary one, but for some there is no choice. It is something that is instilled within them and earning a meritorious promotion just comes with the territory.

"I love the Marine Corps," said Staff Sgt. Patricia Wilson, drill instructor with 4th RTBn.
It was not preplanned, although she always wanted to be a drill instructor, said the mother of two.

The desire was ingrained in her from recruit training. As an example of that desire, Wilson won the Molly Marine award in Recruit Training and while at Marine Combat Training she also earned a meritorious promotion to private first class.

"Not only do you get a chance to be meritoriously promoted, but you sort of put a feather in your cap for your career," said Warrick. "It is one of the incentives that the Marine Corps gives to people who fill [B billets] such as recruiters, drill instructors and Marine security guards."

Those opportunities can be a good selling point for those select few who choose to earn a campaign cover and call themselves drill instructor.

"It is a good incentive because most of the Marines who come down here are the best wherever they have come from," said Staff Sgt. Clinton Ticer, Platoon 3072, and India Company, 3rd RTBn. "Just about every drill instructor here, in their former battalions or squadrons, usually were the best of their battalions."

Ticer speaks as if he is an Olympic athlete in competition with his peers, and that is the way drill instructors think. They want to be with the best and compete with the best.

"It gives you a chance to come down here where you are surrounded by the best and it gives you the opportunity to get those quotas and get promoted above the general population," said Ticer.

Ticer, an experienced drill instructor, has now gained his last two ranks through meritorious promotion.

"Above and beyond the fact that there are chances for getting a meritorious promotion, once you have completed a successful tour on the drill field and you show yourself to be technically proficient after leaving the drill field, your career is pretty well set for all of your promotions from then on," said Warrick.

The following Marines were all selected for meritorious promotion within RTR. Gunnery Sgt. Jerry Gomes and Gunnery Sgt. Dee Dipardo, along with nine new staff sergeants: Patricia Wilson, Clinton Ticer, Travis Sims, Justina Rosen, Jose Guerreiro-Pereira, Ryan Dolby, Daniel Couch and Daniel Collinson.

Staff Sgt. Lavon Cabell Jr., who was also promoted within the drill field, has been augmented to be an instructor at the Officers Candidate School, Quantico, Va.


Marine Corps Training and Education Command