San Diego -- Most people have heard the saying, in one form or another, “hard work and dedication, in the long run, pay off.” During recruit training, hard work and dedication to become a Marine are rewarded to those who excel and demonstrate leadership traits throughout training.
Marines of Company C, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, were meritoriously promoted aboard the depot, Jan. 22.
The purpose of a meritorious promotion is to reward a Marine for performing above and beyond their normal duties.
“The Marines that progress the fastest and effortlessly, use teamwork and show good leadership skills get rewarded,” said Sgt. Bred M. Rosati, drill instructor, Platoon 1041.
A Marine must perform his or her duties and demonstrate, compared with all other Marines of the same grade and without regard of their occupational field, a superior degree of performance to his peers in order to be meritoriously promoted regardless of time in grade or time in service.
“It shows the Marines that hard work pays off but it also shows the other Marines, who didn’t get promoted, that there are possibilities to advance and get promoted faster,” said Rosati, a Pittsburg native. “All they have to do is put in the effort of a meritorious promotion caliber Marine.”
The guides, leader of each platoon, are tasked to lead men of roughly the same age, which requires them to dig deep and work harder than the rest.
“I came here wanting to try hard and do the best I could do, but I had to find mental toughness and courage to better lead my fellow Marines,” said Lance Cpl. Cristian J. Brown-otter, company honorman, Plt. 1042.
During recruit training, each company holds their own board in order to decide which platoon guide will be selected as the graduating company’s honorman. During the board, a panel consisting of senior Marines in the company reviews each Marine and asks them knowledge questions regarding Marine Corps history, regulations, current events and the Marine’s opinions on certain topics.
Marines are expected to answer correctly and, most importantly, confidently.
“I had to work on my confidence and in every area I felt like I was weak; I studied a lot and focused on my weaknesses,” said Brown-otter, a native of Bismarck, N.D. “The most important aspect is that with every rank comes a certain degree of responsibility. For me, I needed to set the example for my fellow Marines to follow.”
Senior drill instructors are also given authority to choose some Marines within their platoon and award them a meritorious promotion. Usually these awards go to Marines that excelled in different categories: the high Physical Fitness Test scorer, high shooter, squad leaders and guide.
For Marines not selected for promotion improvement and hard work are key. Meritorious promotions are awarded on a quarterly basis. Thus, Marines still have the opportunity to be meritoriously promoted once they reach the Fleet Marine Force.