MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- For the vast history of the Marine Corps, certain individuals have always stood out, giving the Corps the famed heritage it boasts today.As so many have passed over the yellow footprints, all who do invariably strive to prove themselves as they look to the Marines of the past. A chosen few Marines who manage to stand up to the beckoning of excellence over their peers may be selected to compete in meritorious promotion boards.Meritorious promotion boards are designed to recognize the Marines who have displayed excellence and dedication to the Marine Corps as well as their ability to perform above their peers and rank.“A meritorious board is basically (geared for) Marines who are doing an outstanding job at working above their rank,” said Staff Sgt. Eliseo E. Rodriguez, outbound personnel chief, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. “So, if we have a lance corporal that is performing like a corporal or a sergeant, it is a way to recognize that Marine and reward him by giving him the rank that he is performing.”Although Marines can be rewarded for their commitment and dedication to their duties, the path to become a meritorious Marine is arduous and fraught with knowledge- and performance-based tests.“The different sections in the squadron or battalion will recommend one of their stellar performers, and they will proceed to compete in several different events,” said Rodriguez, a San Anta, Calif., native. “They go through a drill competition, a (Physical Fitness Test) and the (Marine Corps Common Skills Test), which they perform for score.“They will also stand in front of an oral board with five staff (noncommissioned officers),” he added. “In the case of a meritorious corporal board, there will be four staff sergeants and the sergeant major, who is the president of the board. We proceed to ask questions testing their basic Marine Corps knowledge, which we pull directly out of the MCCST.”However, Marines are not only judged on their knowledge of the Marine Corps or their ability to drill.“During the oral board portion, they either get the questions right or wrong,” said Rodriguez. “If they get it wrong, we check their bearing to see if they have enough bearing not to flinch or waver from their confidence.”After the oral board, the selected Marines proceed with a five-minute Professional Military Education session on a subject given to them by the sergeant major before the overall scoring occurs.“The individual board members will rank each of the selected Marines ourselves and then discuss it,” said Rodriguez. “We look to see how they did on each event. We look at their (Service Record Book) and see how they compare to each other. We look at how they did on the PME and the oral board. After that, we rank them one, two, three, four and five, depending on how many there are. The winner will be recommended to the (commanding officer) who has the final say.”According to Sgt. Adrian N. Pantoja, court liaison, Provost Marshal’s Office, MCAS Miramar, the best way to prepare for a board is to keep up with the Marine Corps standards.“That is probably the absolute best thing that you can do,” said the Phoenix, Ariz., native. “You’ll not have to work that hard for it if you keep up with the Marine Corps standards. If you know your (Battle Skills Training) knowledge, keep your military appearance and bearing and practice teaching PMEs, you shouldn’t have a problem.”According to Rodriguez, the best method to learn Marine Corps knowledge is to keep up with it right out of boot camp.“Make sure you don’t lose that edge,” said Rodriguez. “We all went to boot camp. We were all taught what we need to know as far as our basic Marine Corps knowledge. That is what all Marines hold dear – our heritage. We were all taught it. Never stop learning it. Constantly open your ‘green monster’ from boot camp and look at those questions.“Devour anything Marine Corps related that you can,” he added. “Always have your uniforms squared away and ready to go. Basically, by just being a good Marine, you should have no problem winning a board.”However, there is more to a meritorious board than just winning it. Merely competing on a board speaks volumes about a Marine’s character and performance.“Going onto a board shows that a Marine has demonstrated that they are capable of handling diversity,” said Pantoja. “They’ve demonstrated good leadership skills and traits, and they have shown an interest in being a better Marine.”