Marine Corps Recruiting Command

Marine Corps Recruiting Command
Recruiters School logo
Country	United States
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Role	military recruitment
Headquarters	Marine Corps Base Quantico
Commanders
Commander	Major General Paul J. Kennedy

The Marine Corps Recruiting Command is a command of the United States Marine Corps responsible for military recruitment of civilians into the Corps. In addition to finding volunteers to join, it is also responsible for preparing them for United States Marine Corps Recruit Training, Officer Candidates School, or the United States Naval Academy.

With the founding of the Corps in 1775, the first recruiting drive was held at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. At the time, the recruiting of volunteers was the responsibility of the various barracks commanders scattered throughout the United States to guard naval installations and man ships. Recruiting posters through to the American Civil War promised prospective recruits of bounties and prizes for service at sea.

After the end of the draft in the United States in 1972, recruiters had to shift from merely processing recruits to actively seeking and encouraging them to join an all-volunteer force.

Because there are Marine installations in relatively few states, Marine recruiters are typically the public face of the Corps, seen most commonly by the civilian population.

Recruiters serve as the entry into the Corps through a variety of means. While the majority of accessions are enlisted, those who qualify can attempt to earn a commission and become an officer.

All potential recruits are screened by recruiters for physical standards and fitness, adequate education (a high school diploma or equivalent, such as a GED for enlisted, and a bachelor's degree for officers), lack of significant civil convictions, lack of significant drug use, and other qualifiers. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is administered to determine qualifications for a job field (known as a Military Occupational Specialty).