Failed Marine program
Military Times did an item about a Marines program introduced in 2013. Apparently the results have been – well, underwhelming.
In 2013, the Marine Corps released an administrative message with an intriguing offer: Through a special pilot program, troops could hit pause on their active-duty career and transition to the Individual Ready Reserve for up to three years — giving them the chance to go to school, start a family or fulfill some other non-military pursuit.
I am guessing this could be construed as a much easier way to take a break, or get that college degree you wanted. Me, I sympathize – I entered the service with a couple of years of college and finishing my bachelor’s took me darn near a full lustrum (yes, I learned that word from John Wayne.)
Only two catches – there were only 20 slots a year, and you had to repay the time off active duty with TWICE what you took off. Take two years? You now have four years to go.
According to Lt. Col. Emma Wood, a project manager with the Marine Corps’ Strategic Talent Management Group, as of Nov. 24 of last year, only 16 Marines have taken advantage of the service’s Career Intermission Program, or CIP, since it stood up as a pilot. And the individuals who have opted into the program don’t fit a specific category.
Seven of those Marines, she told the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services in a December briefing, had fulfilled their post-intermission obligated service and remained on active duty; three had transferred to other services to pursue career paths the Marines don’t offer, including military nurse and chaplain; two had taken advantage of Temporary Early Release Authority to depart after fulfilling their CIP obligation; three had gotten out after the end of their contract; and one was still paying off the post-intermission service.
So less than two Marines every three years, right? And how many people tasked to set up and run this program? Not to mention it looks like 100% female usage…are males ineligible?
No matter what the answers…this one has the Good Idea Fairy written all over it. And most of the Corps smart enough not to buy into that two for one deal.
The math on this doesn’t math.
“Temporary Early Release Authority to depart after fulfilling their CIP obligation…”
Well I’m no genius, but it seemed like a dumb deal to me.
How many civilian positions and Marine billets were stood up to manage this (less than) amazing program?
I’m betting way more than the 16 Marines who used the program…
Only took you one lustrum David? When I finish my degree this year, I’ll have done it in a bit under EIGHT lustrum since high school.. better late than never I guess..
It makes sense if you are a female and want to have a baby. You could focus on the child for at least a year, maybe two before going back to work. But a two year pause in career sounds very unappetizing.
Pretty steep interest rate for the time you borrowed from the Corps as well.