Mark Schierbecker
Staff Writer
Passing to lunch on a given day, students can expect to pass a plethora of representatives from activity clubs, colleges and sport organizations. In addition, another organization pitches its tent here: the United States military.
According to the Department of Labor, career outlook in the military sector is rated “excellent” with about 184,000 personnel through 2018 needed to be recruited each year to sustain current force strength. According to Marine Corps recruiter SSgt. Morefield, “There’s guaranteed work, guaranteed job, guaranteed that you’re gonna get experience in the workforce.”
The military offers an opportunity for career advancement for those not planning on going the military route.
“Some people, maybe college is not their thing as far as being able to learn through books, …not liking to read, and [the military] actually gives them the discipline to be able to focus more and actually follow through with stuff.“ Morefield said his service has accelerated him academically.
“I’ve actually taken college since I’ve been in [the Marines] which is something I never thought I’d do,” he said.
According to Morefield, “Recruiting is getting harder because the qualifications are getting tighter.” The Marines no longer recruits those without a high school diploma or those with felonies.
Tattoos, once the tell-tale stripes of a Marine, are also out. “Tattoos is a killer. Tattoos on the hands, down the wrists, neck, face—stuff like that is totally disqualifying,” said Morefield.
The military has increasingly seen a demand for academically successful recruits. The military’s standard qualification test is the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). “The ASVAB and ACT are very similar. Studying for your ACTs will actually help you gear your education towards your ASVAB,” Morefield said.
“We really like to think of ourselves as making quality citizens as opposed to just making Marines. The people who get out are better quality citizens because they have higher standards—moral standards, work ethics, and everything else,” Morefield said.
