MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- Recruiter leads new Marines to success through preparation and leadership
Drawing comparisons between the jobs of a Marine sniper on the ground in Iraq to that of a Marine recruiter on the streets of Asheville, N.C., may seem strange. However, the two require the same dedication, intestinal fortitude and integrity to get the job done.
That is what Gunnery Sgt. Scott G. Guise, staff non-commissioned officer in charge of Recruiting Sub-Station Asheville, N.C., is trying to prove to every possible recruit that he comes in contact with.
Guises' poolees have great success once they get to recruit training. During the Jan. 6 graduation, two of Guises' poolees were the honor graduates for Mike and Papa companies respectively.
The two honor grads were not the only Guise poolees present though, as he had several more on the buddy program who were meritoriously promoted during recruit training.
Guise has been on recruiting duty for a year, and all 28 poolees he sent to Parris Island, completed the training.
"I'm on my 12th month right now," said Guise.
Leading and mentoring the poolees is the closest thing to having a platoon of Marines under his command in the fleet, said Guise.
Guise spent every waking hour he could getting his ready to graduate recruit training and to succeed in the Marine Corps past recruit training.
"During the honor grad lunch, Guise's new Marines sang his praises and largely credited him with their successes," said Col. Steven D. Hogg, Recruit Training Regiment commanding officer. "They couldn't say enough about how much time [Gunnery Sgt. Guise] spent with them prior to shipping and how well he prepared them to succeed. One recruit was the top graduate from her high school, and she turned down a scholarship to join the Marine Corps."
Guise also had four more meritoriously promoted recruits graduating that day. Guise, of course, pushes all credit onto the character of the people he was dealing with.
"My poolees, on their own accord, gave me credit," said Guise, whose self-effacing actions are what motivated many of these Marines to enlist.
Having the male and female honor graduates from the same recruiter is rare.
"They all went in on the buddy program," said Guise. "If they had all been allowed to go in separate platoons - not to brag - they would have probably taken them all. That is a testament to the caliber of people you are dealing with."
Guise constantly told them to give 110 percent all of the time, otherwise they were not getting the most out of recruit training.
"They didn't join the Marine Corps to have someone hold their hand," he said.
Do not look for anything to be handed to you, said Guise.
"I just treated them like Marines," he added. "When all of these kids graduated [high school, probably] 60 percent of their time from then on was spent with me trying to get them ready."
Guise said if he saw a poolee looking like they wanted to quit or give up, he would say, "maybe the Marine Corps is not the place for you," in the hopes they would find the motivation in themselves to prove him wrong.
Some of the families still find it hard to believe he was willing to spend that much time with them.
"They said at recruiter's school, to spend that much time with poolees is impossible," Guise added.
Guise, however, sees it as showing the poolees a love for the Corps.
"In my opinion, I am only their recruiter until they go to recruit training and once they get out I am their first leader and mentor," he said pridefully. "I just think that you can never spend enough time with them."
Guise spent many mornings at the recruiting station running with them and basically doing anything he could to get them ready to succeed.
"I look at them as my sons and daughters," Guise said. "Even thinking of it now brings up feelings that I am not used to...to see them not just as honor graduates, but also being so happy to be Marines."