readiness officers to the lowest level. They are at the battalions and squadrons helping families — whether a husband, wife, son, or daughter is preparing for a deploy- ment or a family needs assistance. Our program is the same as that in the active compo-
nent, though because of time and distance factors, the administration differs. We are spread over 183 locations [across] the country with family readiness officers in dozens of locations. In contrast, Camp Pendleton [in California] alone may have 30 family readiness officers.
Because you are spread out, how do you reach Marines and their families regularly and quickly, if needed? Social media has been important for us. My wife tells me she has seen much more parental involve- ment on the reserve side than she had with the active component. We have found when sons and daughters go away to war in the reserves, their par- ents want information. Our website has become a primary means of keep- ing people informed. We see about 62,000 hits per month [as of February], and that figure is growing
(above) Morning physical fitness training at Marine Forces Reserve in New Orleans in- cludes circuit training. (left) Staff Sgt. Tommy Webb, USMC, right, teaches a class on grid coordinates and plotting points on a map dur- ing a corporals course class.
what he wants, police skills for example, with- out detracting from his unit’s primary duties.
What are your thoughts regarding your reservists? Even with more stability in the force, it is com- plicated to be a reservist. For me on the active
steadily 10 percent every 30 days. People are reading what we publish. We just posted an article on junior-officer retention and had 1,000 hits in just the first four days.
Can you tell me about the Marine Corps Reserve and its role in Security Cooperation MAGTFs [Marine Air-Ground Task Forces]? If the war ends tomorrow, this will be the first time in 50 years we have such a seasoned reserve. Do we want the Reserve and Guard to slip back to the so-called week- end warrior? We propose we give the nation another option — Security Cooperation MAGTFs.
5 4 MI L I T A R Y O F F I C E R AU G U S T 2 0 1 0
duty side, the Marine Corps has been my family’s lifestyle it seems like our entire lives. But a young man or woman who joins the reserve may finish college, go to law school, and get married. Suddenly you pull this person from their “normal” life into the Marine Corps lifestyle? I don’t know how they do it, but I am grateful we have great men and women we call Marines who volunteer to do it.
MO
— Contributing Editor Gina DiNicolo is a retired Marine Corps officer and author of the “Inside the Headquarters” blog at
www.moaa.org. Her last article for Military Officer was “Shaping the Navy,” October 2009.
PHOTOS: ABOVE LEFT, LANCE CPL. ABBY BURTNER, USMC/DOD; TOP, CAPT. KEITH A. STEVENSON, USMC/DOD
Security Cooperation MAGTFs are tailor-made for the
reserve — be it by MOS or civilian skills. We would build these relatively small MAGTFs into the force-generation model. This would keep reservists sharp in their skills as well as deployment rotations. The combatant commanders have a greater need to help mentor societies. The reserves can give that commander
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