In 1994, the Secretary of the Navy, John Dalton, directed that the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy will by the year 2000 increase minority representation in their officer populations to the following levels:
- 12% African-American
- 12% Latino/Chicano
- 5% for all other minority groups
These goals run counter to surveys that have shown a dramatic decline in the number of students who express interest in military service while in high school. There also has been a decline in the number of students who qualify for commissioning programs. For example, only 26,750 black students earned four-year degrees—a prerequisite for commissioning—last year. At present, 10% of the total college population is black; however, nearly half of those students are enrolled in two-year schools. And fewer than half of the students who move to four-year schools from community colleges will earn baccalaureate degrees. In addition, recent statistics indicate that only 34.7% of all the students who take the scholastic aptitude test (SAT) attain a college-entrance qualifying score. Of those males who do qualify, only 2% are black. As the requirement for minority representation in the officer corps continues to grow, the officer selection teams will begin to struggle unless a new approach is taken. We must be avoided is a quick-fix solution to the minority recruiting dilemma. Instead, we must create an intelligent approach that attracts qualified minorities while improving Marine Corps organizational health.
During fiscal year 1995, the Marine Corps assigned the following minority recruiting mission;
- African-American 7.1%
- Chicano/Latino 4.2%
- All others 2.6%
Planned accessions for the year were 1,479 new officers from all commissioning sources. The corresponding minority officer accession goals were 105 African-Americans, 62 Chicano/Latinos, and 38 others. The Chicano/Latino and other minority category goals were easily exceeded reaching 150% and 137% respectively. However, even after the Marine Corps Recruiting Command established African-American officer candidate applications as the priority effort, the goal was exceeded by only 4.8%. The African-American officer goal is generally considered to be the hardest part of the recruiting mission and many fail to submit the required number of applicants. The relative difficulty of the African-American mission will increase as the nationwide effort draws closer to the Secretary of the Navy’s stated goals.
The Marine Corps espouses equality among Marines—regardless of race, creed, cultural background or religion. Unfortunately, Marines are not all the same and attempts to treat them as such without regard for their cultural backgrounds can lead to serious misunderstandings. Respect for these differences can only come through education and familiarity. Respecting cultural diversity is a relatively new endeavor for the Marine Corps and involves educating Marines on the various cultural differences that exist within the Corps. The officer selection team is an essential part of this education process; it must understand the minority community to be effective within it.
Many minority students are distrustful of the military—especially of the Marine Corps—because the Corps was the last service to integrate blacks, and it continues to have the lowest percentage of black officers. This results in fewer role models and fewer traditions of family service. Furthermore, because many of America’s blacks live in urban areas, they are exposed to a high incidence of violence and killing. Black-on-black crime is an issue of grave concern to minority community leaders. To choose a career that would take a student away from his community and potentially require him to kill is culturally unacceptable to many. This issue becomes even more visceral when Marines are required to operate in countries where the potential adversaries are blacks: Rwanda, Haiti, Somalia, and Liberia.
For many minority students, the first Marine they see may be a member of the officer selection team. The initial impression that NCOs and officers make and the cultural insights they display will have a searing impact on the minds of potential applicants.
Distrust is another hurdle for the team to overcome. Many blacks are raised in environments where distrust of whites is common. With very little interaction between blacks and whites in urban areas, distrust can grow. Whites are often portrayed as corrupt. The government, which is run primarily by whites, is also seen as corrupt. Following this logic, the Marine Corps—also a predominately white organization associated with the government—is therefore corrupt.
The team must establish a relationship within the minority community in order to dispel such cultural fears. Involvement in community-improvement programs, not related to recruiting, can establish a common ground for the team and community leaders. Grade- school and high-school mentoring programs, reading programs, the Big Brother program, neighborhood litter collection, and talks to kids about drugs are a few of the possible programs that can develop ties to the community.
This relationship—when sincere—can establish a basis for trust. Once trust is established, the community will be more apt to consider the Marine Corps as a rewarding career option for its youth; the more students become aware of the officer programs for which they may be eligible, the more they will apply.
One of the most important parts of the recruiting process is developing the personal relationship with a potential applicants. Special attention should be given to encourage the applicants to improve in areas in which they are weak. The team should then help the applicants to improve physically, mentally, and in military aptitude so they have the best chance of success. Once students understand that the team is behind them, their commitment will grow. A successful individual—valued as a person and not just a quota-tiller—then can become a role model for other students. This also will show that the Marine Corps can be a valid career option. This is a long-term process, which requires dedication, sincerity, and stamina from the entire team. It will take years to alter the minority community’s perceptions, but consistent effort can break the old mold and start a new tradition. To attract the most qualified minority leaders to join its officer corps, the Marine Corps must become a part of the minority community, through deed and concern.
Captain Buechs was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987. He was the executive officer, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion 1991-1992, and the Officer Selection Officer, Recruiting station San Diego, CA, from 1992-1995.