Award recognizes Marine Corps recruiters on Guam

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Award recognizes Marine Corps recruiters on Guam

By Mark-Alexander Pieper
Pacific Daily News

Marine Corps recruiters on Guam have been recognized as being among the best recruiters, outranking more than 100 other recruiting substations within the 12th Marine Corps District.

The Marine Corps Recruiting Sub-Station Guam has won the 12th Marine Corps District's 3-Man Recruiting Sub-Station of the Year Award. The local office serves Guam, the Republic of Palau and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

"The award is a monumental accomplishment and a direct reflection of their dedication to excellence in recruiting the best and the brightest sons and daughters of the communities they serve," states the 12th Marine Corps District, headquartered at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Calif.

The Marines honored are Gunnery Sgt. Brian Lancioni, staff non-commissioned officer-in-charge; Staff Sgt. Jonathan Flick and Staff Sgt. Douglas Takawo.

"This is a great accomplishment," said Major Max A. Galeai, commanding officer, Marine Corps Recruiting Station Orange County. "They have a plethora of highly qualified young men and women to recruit from, and they've done an outstanding job of enlisting the highest caliber of individuals to join our ranks. I'm really proud of the job they've done. They're top quality Marines, bringing only the best into the fold."

Lancioni yesterday said the Guam office recruited 47 people -- 46 men and a woman -- this past year. Their goal was to recruit at least 43 people, he said.

"It's mostly in Guam and in Saipan. We get a few out of Palau and Okinawa. It's above expectations," he said.

Lancioni said Marine recruiters look for quality applicants and not quantity. He added that very few are chosen to become Marines.

"It's not just about college money or technical skills, you're joining to be a United States Marine," he said. "We look for quality applicants, people in the higher tier with (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) scores 50 and above. The Marines are looking for the few, the proud and the best. We just don't take anybody."

Lancioni has been a Marine for the past decade and has served on Guam for the past year and eight months. He was last stationed in Hawaii.

'So patriotic'

"Hawaii is very patriotic, but Guam is even more so patriotic. Guam as a whole is so pro-military," he said, adding that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has not deterred people from enlisting.

New recruit Kris Dominguez, 20, said he decided to join the Marines because he wanted to challenge himself.

"I just wanted to test myself, and it's nothing against the other branches (of the military) but I wanted to be a part of the best and I didn't want to look back years from now and question myself. I joined because I want to see what I'm made of," he said.

Yigo resident Robert Zahnen is preparing to leave island Monday for San Diego to start the first leg of the 16-week Marine Corps boot camp.

The 18-year-old said his uncle and great-grandfather, who were both Marines, and a desire to test himself motivated him to join the Marines.

"I want to carry on the next generation of the Marine Corps and I want to serve my country and have the opportunity to travel," the Simon Sanchez High School graduate said.

Guam made another recent gesture of honoring the Marines when island lawmakers proposed to rename Marine Drive "Marine Corps Drive" last week. The bill was introduced Nov. 10, the 228th anniversary of the Marine Corps.

Education quality

Recruiter Staff Sgt. Jonathan Flick said although the Guam office has been able to find good recruits, the state of the island's public education system is making the search for recruits difficult.

"The education system here is really one of the things that makes it challenging to recruit because nine times out of 10, if you want to be a Marine you have to score a 50 or higher on the (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and that usually requires some knowledge of Algebra II," he said.

"As you know on Guam there is really a love for the military and it seems especially the Marines, but without that educational foundation it really reduces the kids' options," he said. "There's so much potential here and they have the passion, but they've really been shortchanged -- and that doesn't just hurt the Marine Corps but the other services as well."

Pacific Daily News Local News Editor David V. Crisostomo contributed to this report.

http://www.guampdn.com/news/stories/...ws/655559.html


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