By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 14, 2008 - The Marine Corps' mission and mystique continue to attract high-quality recruits who join up to fight America's enemies, that service's senior officer said here today. All of the military services continue to meet their recruiting quotas. Yet, while some services offer recruiting bonuses or other monetary enticements, the Marines' warrior image is the key factor that convinces sufficient numbers of young people to enlist in the Corps, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway said at a breakfast event hosted by Government Executive Magazine at the National Press Club.
"Our theme is that you are going to be a Marine if you get through training successfully," Conway explained. "You are going to fight for your country; you should not have any doubt about that."
The Marines are to add about 5,000 additional recruits each year as part of efforts over the next several years to bring up the service's total active-duty strength to around 202,000 members, Conway said. Last year, he noted, the Corps signed up 7,000 of these additional enlistees.
Asked about other services' practices of paying bonuses to attract recruits, Conway responded that the Marines "purposely are not doing it."
Recruiters in the field tell him bonuses aren't necessary to attract good recruits, Conway explained. In fact, he added, recruiters also said they tell prospects who want a signing bonus to inquire at the other military services.
The general said his staff noncommissioned officers are adamant in the advice they give him on the subject. They say, "Please Sir, don't start throwing money at people. One, we can't compete. And secondly, that's not the kind of individual we're looking for," the Marine Corps commandant said.
The general praised the Marines' sister services and emphasized that he wasn't disparaging their important contributions to the nation's defense.
It's just that the Marine Corps is different, he said.
Joining the Marines is a way of life and "an emblem" of duty to country, Conway said. The Marine Corp's fighting ability and its unique eagle, globe and anchor insignia are known worldwide.
A person who joins the Marines is required to provide an intense level of dedication to the Corps, Conway pointed out. In return, the Marine Corps strives to take good care of its members. For example, a Conway-championed initiative now provides the free-of-charge issue of the Corp's distinctive dress uniform to recruits at boot camp. Previously, Marines had to pay for the expensive uniform out of their own pockets.
Although recruiting bonuses aren't part of his service's lexicon, the Marines "are paying large amounts of money to keep people" in the Corps, Conway pointed out.
"Once we get a Marine in (and) we get to know him or her and like them, our re-enlistment bonuses probably compete with anybody's," the general said.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Face of Defense: Sergeant Faces New 'Normal' After Injury
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 13, 2008 - "Normal" is a relative term, and for one former North Carolina Army National Guard sergeant, it's distinctly different today from what it was in 2004. On Nov. 15 of that year, Army Sgt. Andrew Butterworth was serving in Iraq. After patrolling in the northeastern part of the country, he and members of his unit were heading home.
"They were waiting for us," he said. "(We) had an RPG, a rocket-propelled grenade, hit our Bradley (fighting vehicle). It went right through the turret."
While the grenade caused some severe injuries, it could have been worse. Of the nine soldiers in the vehicle, Butterworth and his lieutenant were the only two seriously injured.
"I lost my right leg, and my lieutenant lost his left leg," he said. "Nobody was killed, except (the insurgents)."
Both Butterworth and his lieutenant got to Walter Reed Army Medical Center shortly after their injuries occurred. Their stays were short-lived, though.
"As far as I know, and unless somebody tells me different, I think we got out of there the fastest of all the amputees there," he said. "They were telling my family that I'd probably be there for six to eight months to a year or more."
But after only three and a half months, with the help of a cane, Butterworth walked out of Walter Reed on his good leg and a new prosthetic. The amazing progress was the result of friendly competition between Butterworth, also known as "Butter," and his lieutenant.
"It was who could do what first," he said. "That really helped both of us out."
On April 1, 2006, Butterworth was officially medically retired and began to embrace his new version of normal by attending a winter sports clinic in Aspen, Colo. During that trip he decided that life may be different, but he wouldn't let his injury shape the future.
"I threw the cane away and started waling without it," he said. "I knew if I didn't start walking without it, I never would, so I just got rid of it."
With that act, Butterworth began to make good on a promise he made. When he first saw his family after the injury, he told them he wasn't going to let it slow him down.
"I guess it's just the way I was raised," he said. "It was just something else for me to learn how to do.
"I just kind of took it in stride, no pun intended," he chuckled.
Butterworth, who used to do electrical work for a living, now works as the Wounded Warrior Project's benefits liaison for the southeast region of the country. The job means a lot of time on the road and away from Bonzo, the orange tabby cat he said helps him keep his sanity, but he calls it his dream job.
The former soldier has a couple other dreams as well: a family and a college education.
He's already learned some important lessons not taught in a classroom, including the fact that there are two types of amputees: "those that have fallen and those that are about to."
And he's taught a few along the way.
"(Wounded warriors) aren't done. There's nothing that they can't do," Butterworth said. "You just have to meet it head-on and take it for what it is and see it as a new challenge."
This shouldn't be anything new for servicemembers, he said.
"We've always got hard things to do, physically and mentally, emotionally," he said. "There's no reason to complain. We all have our days."
Some of those days leave him feeling like a 70-year-old man, he said. Some days that feeling wins out, and he can stay in bed. More often than not, though, he feels pretty good and enjoys some of his favorite activities, including hiking, camping, skiing and riding his motorcycle.
"People are like, 'You still ride a motorcycle? You're missing a leg,'" he said. "So what? Physically, I guess you would think I'm somewhat normal, besides the fact that I'm missing a leg.
"At some point you're going to be just as 'normal' as anybody else," he added.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 13, 2008 - "Normal" is a relative term, and for one former North Carolina Army National Guard sergeant, it's distinctly different today from what it was in 2004. On Nov. 15 of that year, Army Sgt. Andrew Butterworth was serving in Iraq. After patrolling in the northeastern part of the country, he and members of his unit were heading home.
"They were waiting for us," he said. "(We) had an RPG, a rocket-propelled grenade, hit our Bradley (fighting vehicle). It went right through the turret."
While the grenade caused some severe injuries, it could have been worse. Of the nine soldiers in the vehicle, Butterworth and his lieutenant were the only two seriously injured.
"I lost my right leg, and my lieutenant lost his left leg," he said. "Nobody was killed, except (the insurgents)."
Both Butterworth and his lieutenant got to Walter Reed Army Medical Center shortly after their injuries occurred. Their stays were short-lived, though.
"As far as I know, and unless somebody tells me different, I think we got out of there the fastest of all the amputees there," he said. "They were telling my family that I'd probably be there for six to eight months to a year or more."
But after only three and a half months, with the help of a cane, Butterworth walked out of Walter Reed on his good leg and a new prosthetic. The amazing progress was the result of friendly competition between Butterworth, also known as "Butter," and his lieutenant.
"It was who could do what first," he said. "That really helped both of us out."
On April 1, 2006, Butterworth was officially medically retired and began to embrace his new version of normal by attending a winter sports clinic in Aspen, Colo. During that trip he decided that life may be different, but he wouldn't let his injury shape the future.
"I threw the cane away and started waling without it," he said. "I knew if I didn't start walking without it, I never would, so I just got rid of it."
With that act, Butterworth began to make good on a promise he made. When he first saw his family after the injury, he told them he wasn't going to let it slow him down.
"I guess it's just the way I was raised," he said. "It was just something else for me to learn how to do.
"I just kind of took it in stride, no pun intended," he chuckled.
Butterworth, who used to do electrical work for a living, now works as the Wounded Warrior Project's benefits liaison for the southeast region of the country. The job means a lot of time on the road and away from Bonzo, the orange tabby cat he said helps him keep his sanity, but he calls it his dream job.
The former soldier has a couple other dreams as well: a family and a college education.
He's already learned some important lessons not taught in a classroom, including the fact that there are two types of amputees: "those that have fallen and those that are about to."
And he's taught a few along the way.
"(Wounded warriors) aren't done. There's nothing that they can't do," Butterworth said. "You just have to meet it head-on and take it for what it is and see it as a new challenge."
This shouldn't be anything new for servicemembers, he said.
"We've always got hard things to do, physically and mentally, emotionally," he said. "There's no reason to complain. We all have our days."
Some of those days leave him feeling like a 70-year-old man, he said. Some days that feeling wins out, and he can stay in bed. More often than not, though, he feels pretty good and enjoys some of his favorite activities, including hiking, camping, skiing and riding his motorcycle.
"People are like, 'You still ride a motorcycle? You're missing a leg,'" he said. "So what? Physically, I guess you would think I'm somewhat normal, besides the fact that I'm missing a leg.
"At some point you're going to be just as 'normal' as anybody else," he added.
America Supports You: Wounded Vets Connect With Resources
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 13, 2008 - Wounded servicemembers have a helping hand available when it comes to transitioning back into their communities. The VetConnect program is designed to "provide wounded warriors with a critical link to resources ... and to engage local community and business leaders in the reorientation of disabled veterans to their communities," Scott Heintz, the program's director, said.
The program is run by "Enable America," a non-profit group dedicated to increasing employment opportunities for Americans with disabilities.
VetConnect also offers early intervention support by matching wounded warriors with casualty mentors and coordinating their participation in wellness activities, he said. This program has been expanded to wounded special operations troops through the Care Coalition Recovery Pilot Program. The program, similar to VetConnect's mentoring program, was developed and implemented with the help of U.S. Special Operations Command.
"The objective of the pilot program is to improve the recovery outcome of special operations forces wounded warriors through the early introduction of casualty mentors and wellness activities designed to boost wounded warriors' confidence and self-esteem," Heintz said.
The mentors, wounded warriors themselves, are matched with a newly wounded warrior and trained to provide support and guidance throughout and beyond the recovery process. The matches are made based on similarity of injures, unit affiliations and family situations.
"Mentors offer valuable insight and counsel from the perspective of someone who has successfully navigated similar physical and emotional challenges," Heintz said. "Spouses and family members of wounded (special operations force members) also serve as mentors and provide guidance to their counterparts."
When servicemembers and their family members are ready to try Enable America's wellness activities, the organization will help them find the right one. All of the activities -- camping, skiing, yoga and photography, to name a few -- are offered through organizations that are able to accommodate the participant's needs.
"As their recovery progresses, Enable America provides wounded warriors and their families with access to a comprehensive network of community and employment resources," Heintz said. "The final component of the program is that of providing the wounded warrior with an employment resource network that will (offer) them meaningful and challenging work that is commensurate with their unique skill sets."
Enable America recently became a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving and home and abroad.
"(America Supports You) provides us with the opportunity to network with other supporting organizations as well as to increase our exposure to those who would benefit from our services," Heintz said.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 13, 2008 - Wounded servicemembers have a helping hand available when it comes to transitioning back into their communities. The VetConnect program is designed to "provide wounded warriors with a critical link to resources ... and to engage local community and business leaders in the reorientation of disabled veterans to their communities," Scott Heintz, the program's director, said.
The program is run by "Enable America," a non-profit group dedicated to increasing employment opportunities for Americans with disabilities.
VetConnect also offers early intervention support by matching wounded warriors with casualty mentors and coordinating their participation in wellness activities, he said. This program has been expanded to wounded special operations troops through the Care Coalition Recovery Pilot Program. The program, similar to VetConnect's mentoring program, was developed and implemented with the help of U.S. Special Operations Command.
"The objective of the pilot program is to improve the recovery outcome of special operations forces wounded warriors through the early introduction of casualty mentors and wellness activities designed to boost wounded warriors' confidence and self-esteem," Heintz said.
The mentors, wounded warriors themselves, are matched with a newly wounded warrior and trained to provide support and guidance throughout and beyond the recovery process. The matches are made based on similarity of injures, unit affiliations and family situations.
"Mentors offer valuable insight and counsel from the perspective of someone who has successfully navigated similar physical and emotional challenges," Heintz said. "Spouses and family members of wounded (special operations force members) also serve as mentors and provide guidance to their counterparts."
When servicemembers and their family members are ready to try Enable America's wellness activities, the organization will help them find the right one. All of the activities -- camping, skiing, yoga and photography, to name a few -- are offered through organizations that are able to accommodate the participant's needs.
"As their recovery progresses, Enable America provides wounded warriors and their families with access to a comprehensive network of community and employment resources," Heintz said. "The final component of the program is that of providing the wounded warrior with an employment resource network that will (offer) them meaningful and challenging work that is commensurate with their unique skill sets."
Enable America recently became a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving and home and abroad.
"(America Supports You) provides us with the opportunity to network with other supporting organizations as well as to increase our exposure to those who would benefit from our services," Heintz said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
