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New perks for reservists who recruit others

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Marine reservists are eligible to receive more retirement points for getting civilians to sign on the dotted line, according to a recently released Corps-wide message.

Reservists also will get additional points for persuading prior-service Individual Ready Reserve Marines to affiliate with a Selected Marine Corps Reserve unit or serve in an Individual Mobilization Augmentee billet for at least 90 days, according to Marine Administrative message 247/08.

“With today’s increased reliance on the reserve, the Marine Corps seeks to capitalize on all members of the [Reserve Component] dispersed throughout the U.S. as spokesmen or spokeswomen to recruit or re-engage Marines for service in the Marine Corps,” the message states.

“This policy change provides enhanced opportunities for an RC Marine to be awarded enough retirement points to remain a satisfactory participant and potentially be credited with a qualifying year of service for reserve retirement.”

The new rule covers most Marines who are in positions to obtain drilling points, including those in the IRR. The policy comes as recruiters face tough challenges. An internal Defense Department survey that tracked the opinions of potential recruits, mostly young men ages 16 to 21, shows interest in military service has declined to its lowest levels in more than 25 years.

With the number of Marine reservists — nearly 100,000, including those in the IRR — spread throughout the country, there are more opportunities to spread the word about the Corps.

Reservists can earn up to 40 reserve retirement points per anniversary year for talking civilians into joining the active component or Selected Marine Corps Reserve. Each referral equals 10 points, six more than before.

Getting a prior-service Marine to affiliate with a Selected Marine Corps Reserve unit or serve in an IMA billet for at least 90 days earns six retirement points, three more than before, up to a maximum of 36 per anniversary year. There’s a catch: The referred Marine cannot have served in a Selected Reserve billet during the previous 180 days.

The changes allow eligible reservists to earn up to 76 points within an anniversary year. An anniversary year begins on the date a Marine entered service.