MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Marines from the San Diego area gathered at the Reserve Support Unit building here to attend an annual active reserve brief Dec. 2.
The brief provided information about job availability, career opportunities and career advice from active reserve [AR] monitors with Headquarters Marine Corps.
“Marines should understand that your career has a lifespan,” said Gunnery Sgt. Ruben Villarreal, the operations chief for the RSU. “The information that they gain here can sustain longevity in the Marine Corps and help them be successful. If you're in a position where you can't reenlist, the AR can provide the same benefits and allow Marines to stay connected to the Marine Corps.”
The brief was open to both AR and active-duty Marines. The monitors passed information such as how the promotion system works for AR Marines and how many B-billet jobs, or additional duties, are available to AR Marines. In addition, the AR monitors explained how the job assignment process works, how AR Marines can communicate with HQMC and what they need to do to deploy.
The monitors stayed to give career counselings to all AR Marines following the brief.
“The door isn't completely closed,” said Villarreal. “We're here. We're trying to educate Marines that if you want to stay in, there are options out there. The education you get is free, but the information you gain from that education is priceless.”
The AR monitors spend four months traveling to Marine Corps installations to provide AR briefs and career counselings.
These briefs are also important because they are some of the few chances to educate the AR community on their value, explained Chief Warrant Officer Katherine Beauchamp, the officer in charge for the AR enlisted assignments. They act as liaisons between the active and reserve Marines here and in other countries.
“We deploy as one force, not reserve or active, just one force,” said Beauchamp. “We like to refer to ourselves as the ‘bootlaces’ that connect the active and reserve components together.”
Although not everyone can stay in the active-duty component of the Marine Corps, the active reserve allows Marines to continue serving their country.
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