Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?
Study.
Are you taking ownership of your journey?
Borrow One Idea: Reenlistment
Enlisted members of the US military commit to service via contracts signed for multi-year periods. The first contract is the one that brings them into the military, committing them to a particular type of work/role (which is a negotiated choices based on qualifications) and guaranteeing future benefits (GI Bill, etc). There are also negotiable components, like duty stations, assessments for different schools, and bonuses. Pay? Not negotiable. There are tables for the entire US military if you are interested: Enlisted Pay Table and Officer Pay Table.
Initial enlistment contracts are all eight years in duration (the same is true for officers), though there is a mix between active duty and reserve components; most sign up for four years of active duty.
Joining the military is a big decision, but staying in the military? Equally, if not more complicated. Reenlistment is not a given, it’s a choice.
Reenlistment windows typically open 12 months prior to the end of existing contracts, creating opportunities for negotiation and new contract commitments. It’s not entirely dissimilar from professional athletes, minus the agents and extreme sums of money.
Reenlistment is when an enlisted member of the military wonders: should I stay or should I go?
It’s a significant decision.
Most of us are not under official contracts for our professional or personal endeavors, which means our ‘reenlistment windows’ are always open. However, many people only consider whether to stay or go from an employer, location or situation when there is an external prompt (dissatisfaction, career milestone, life change).
What if we commit to evaluating life in intervals, as if we need to make a choice about reenlistment?
Below are some questions Marines can answer for themselves or discuss with a mentor as they consider their options for the future:
What do I want to contribute to the Marine Corps and have I accomplished that already?
Do I provide valuable service to the Corps, and does the Corps continue to serve me well?
Have I left it better than I found it?
If I were to get out tomorrow, would I be satisfied with that decision?
Are there goals I still want to accomplish in the Marine Corps?
Are there goals I want to accomplish outside the Marine Corps that will be impeded by another enlistment?
MCTP 6-10A, Section 4-8, PDF page 56
In considering reenlistment, the Marines would suggest you take a hard, honest look at your individual role and actions relative to the answers to the above questions.
If, after assessing their needs, motivators, goals, and priorities, Marines decide they have missed the target, it might be time for further reflection. How much of that outcome was their responsibility? Many Marines leave the Service after one enlistment because they feel disappointed in unmet expectations. Marines must take an honest assessment of their roles in their own experiences. If they wanted education, did they take the initiative to enroll in classes? If they wanted to belong, did they participate in events and organizations that would help them build a network? If they wished to travel, did they make themselves competitive and available for training and deployment? Many times, Marines have a projected image of what it will look like to accomplish their goals, and if it does not unfold exactly as they imagined, they consider it unsuccessful. College does not always look like a semester on a campus with lecture halls and classmates. World travel is not limited to long vacations in distant locations. A sense of belonging can begin with something as simple as sharing an evening around a fire pit. It is up to the Marine to take advantage of available opportunities.
MCTP 6-10A, Section 4-11 to 4-12, PDF pages 59-60
Instead of waiting for malaise, frustration, or a significant external event to shock you into considering you continued employment, affiliations, and areas of engagement, consider choosing where you need to reenlist, why, for what duration, and for what purpose. Then make a contract with yourself.
This week, borrow with pride and reflect on reenlistment. Evaluate three open-ended commitments you have with employers or organizations and where you might need to create a reenlistment contract for yourself. If you decide to stay, draw up a reenlistment ‘contract’, detailing rationale for staying, expectations, duration, and the actions you will need to take for success. If you decide to go, list out what you want in your next enlistment ‘contract’ from a future employer or organization. Are you taking ownership of your journey?
Get Familiar With: Owning Your Journey
Chances are, you are still not a Marine. I’m still not one either. That does not mean we cannot work to be like them. Not in all ways, but some.
The first significant point of career progression for Marines is promotion to non-commissioned officer (NCO).
Some Marines believe they can continue to act as they always have and that the NCO leadership and conduct mindset will come to them, but they must pursue this; ownership is one of the characteristics that separates a junior Marine from an NCO.
MCTP 6-10A, Section 4-2, PDF page 50
The inflection point between being a Marine and and Marine NCO is a single day (when the new rank is conferred), but the journey of leadership and responsibility begins well before and long after the new rank (or job title) is pinned on.
Junior Marines will emulate their NCOs. An NCO’s leadership influences how a junior Marine retains new skills and strengthens character traits obtained during training. Every interaction an NCO has with a junior Marine should stem from the realization that NCOs shape, guide, and mold the Corps. Every conversation, counseling, and correction must foster the warrior ethos within their Marines. To create warriors, NCOs must be warriors themselves. In addition to training, NCOs can earn trust in myriad ways, like following through on promises, assisting Marines with their personal and professional development, recognizing their achievements, being bold and unflinching in the face of challenging decisions, and being reliable problem solvers.
MCTP 6-10A, Sections 4-2 through 4-3, PDF pages 50-51
We may or may not get to define the dates or times when our leadership is called upon, but we are the only ones that can define what that leadership will look and feel like. And guaranteed, others are watching. Not only to judge, but to learn and develop themselves.
Are you taking ownership of your journey? Where do you need to become less passive? What actions and activities create better leadership development environments? What are your responsibilities to yourself and others as you grow as a leader?
The Guided Discovery for this week will explore US Marine Corps expectations for new non-commissioned officers, how responsibility evolves as Marines progress through enlisted ranks, and what new leaders must do to own their own continued growth.
Learn More: Suggested Reading
MCTP 6-10A, Sustaining the Transformation
Pages 4-1 through 4-24 based on printed document (PDF pages 49-72)
Description of general responsibilities and expectations of Marine Non-Commissioned Officers
Link to MCTP 6-10A on the US Marine Corps Publications Electronic Library
These materials will be the focus of Thursday’s Guided Discovery
Catch Up: Last Week’s Content
Study: We’re Not Marines (But Copy Marines)
Guided Discovery: USMC - How to Succeed at Your First Job
Always be asking:
1. What is the connection with my leadership development?
2. How does this change my thinking on management?
3. How does this influence planning for life?
4. What can I borrow with pride to use this week?