The Marine Corps is about to be short on female drill instructors and is willing to pay up to $14,700 to fill its ranks, according to an administrative message released Wednesday.
The Marine message is calling for both first term and second term drill instructors to fill positions at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, and Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in fiscal year 2022.
Second term drill instructors may also be placed in billets at Marine Corps Officer Candidate School, Quantico, Virginia, the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, along with several other Marine Corps commissioning sights to, “serve as mentors for future Marine and Naval Officers,” the MARADMIN said.
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The “anticipated future vacancies,” come as the Corps starts to integrate boot camp for the first time in its history, at the direction of Congress.
The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Marine Corps to fully integrate the recruit depot at Parris Island, South Carolina, by 2025 while San Diego has until 2028.
In February the San Diego depot saw the first ever company of women recruits begin training on the base.
In April, 53 women from Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, earned their Eagle, Globe and Anchor and the right to call themselves a Marine while standing on top of the infamous Reaper at Camp Pendleton, California.
The integration process will require the Corps to field more female drill instructors, especially on San Diego where the sight of women in that billet has been rare.
In December, the first three women graduated from the West Coast Drill instructor school to start off the process of filling Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego’s ranks with the necessary number of women.
Wednesday’s MARADMIN should help as well.
“The referenced MARADMIN ensures that all Marines know that MCRD San Diego is open to qualified volunteers seeking a new and exciting career opportunity,” Yvonne Carlock told Marine Corps Times in a Wednesday email. “Headquarters Marine Corps is increasing the female drill instructor population in anticipation of MCRD San Diego being integrated by 2028.”
First term drill instructors who volunteer for a 36-month tour will have three options to receive a bonus pay, according to the MARADMIN.
They could opt to receive either an extra $578 a month, $300 a month plus a lump sum of $10,000 or an extra $150 a month with a $14,700 lump sum payment.
Experienced drill instructors volunteering to return to the drill field for a second time for a 24-month tour have the options of an extra $578 a month, an extra $300 a month plus a lump sum of $6,700 or $150 a month plus a lump sum of $9,800.
Those second termers who volunteer to serve at officer candidate school or the Officer Training Command in Newport, Rhode Island, have the option to receive either an extra $578 a month, $300 a month plus a lump sum of $10,000 or an extra $150 a month with a $14,700 lump sum payment.
“All other second tour assignments do not qualify for monetary incentives,” the MARADMIN reads.
Carlock encourages all Marines who want to volunteer for drill instructor duty to submit packages as soon as possible.
“Headquarters Marine Corps is continuously seeking out qualified Marines to train and mentor the next generation of officers and enlisted Marines,” she said.
“These Marines are instrumental to the future success of the Force and the Marine Corps makes every effort to ensure these commands are appropriately staffed to meet both present and future needs,” she added.
