The military can be a land of opportunity. There are many options, choices, and paths service members can take to reach career goals and develop skills that may be sought after in the civilian job market—so much so that the military often sets up service members for success in the civilian world at the expense of its own time and money spent. I believe the military needs to increase its return on investment (ROI) on personnel, while also incentivizing retention and job performance.
The Marine Corps has a program called the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Degree Completion Program (SNCODCP). Enlisted Marines in grades E-6 through E-8 with bachelor’s degrees can apply to the SNCODCP to advance their current degree or earn a degree by completing a qualifying program. Once, complete, he or she returns to the service and fills a billet that requires the education attained. This program is not as well known as other degree completion programs and is constantly working reactively to fill empty billets by designating some as immediate fills. This program is great, but it needs to evolve to better use the professional talents of more enlisted personnel.
All the services have increased opportunities for service members to earn college degrees, certifications, and professional licenses. The only way the military can get a better ROI is if the enlisted service member uses that degree to become an officer or fill a billet requiring the education, which not all service members do. Most personnel who earn certificates or professional licenses earn them for use in the civilian sector. In the Marine Corps’ case, if a Marine uses the SNCODCP to earn a degree, he or she is obligated to serve in a billet for that degree for up to three years, which is positive ROI.
The Navy has a program similar to the SNCODCP called the Medical Service Corps Inservice Procurement Program, which allows sailors and Marines to earn a medical degree and return to service as officers. Information technology (IT) professions in the military are filled with opportunities to earn certificates, as these enhance the comprehension and capability of those who earn them. Once earned, IT certificates become resume enhancers, resulting in trained and experienced specialists exiting the service for more lucrative positions in the private sector or under a separate federal agency.
Enlisted personnel must be allowed to use their talents and education for the betterment of the service. For example, I have a bachelor’s degree and am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, both of which were paid for by the Marine Corps. I apply relatable education and tools to my position. I would like to see the Marine Corps expand the SNCODCP to give enlisted service members access to more professional fields. This will allow the Corps to place Marines with the right credentials, education, and experience where they will make the biggest contribution.
Billets requiring credentials such as project management, accounting, contracting, and human resources already exist in the Marine Corps, but they are not always filled by a person with the right experience. An expanded SNCODCP would fill those billets with well-trained individuals. The Navy and Marine Corps already are allowing and paying for service members to earn credentials through their Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) programs. These programs are great and cover myriad fields, most of which can benefit the service. Using the COOL program as a feeder to an expanded SNCODCP will provide a better ROI for both the Navy and Marine Corps.
The military always is in competition with the private sector to employ the best qualified service members. Each year, money is spent to train service members, yet the military does not always get something in return. It is imperative that the military make positions sought after by increasing opportunities, options, and the right combination of incentives to better use and retain the best qualified service members.