Photo By Staff Sgt. Sarah Ralph | U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Josue Fragoso, a recruiter with Recruiting Sub-Station South...... read more read more
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The saying “Backbone of the Marine Corps” is one of the greatest legacies associated with the rank of non-commissioned officer. The slogan originally came from an Army inspector general in 1778 where he saw NCOs as, “the backbone of the Army.” The Marine Corps adapted the phrase during World War II after the Battle of Sedan in 1940. Since then, sergeants and corporals throughout the Corps have stepped up, taken on more responsibilities and led from the front.
“For me, the saying, ’Backbone of the Marine Corps’, means being able to be reliant,” says Sgt. Alex Completo, a recruiter with Recruiting Sub-Station Culver City, Recruiting Station Orange County. “It means being able to perform in whatever situation you’re in at a high capacity and being confident in your ability to make decisions.”
Some Marines believe that sergeant is the most important rank in the Marine Corps because it is a rank in which Marines are more heavily relied on to be a proficient leader, excel in their occupation and mentor their junior Marines. The rank of sergeant is where Marines are able to evolve into the type of leader they want to be due to the amount of responsibility placed upon them.
In recruiting, the “backbone” of the Marine Corps is still ever present even if it is not in the normal circumstances of the Fleet Marine Force.
“I still uphold everything it means to be an NCO on recruiting duty,” says Completo. “I feel like there is even more pressure for sergeants now since we’re the first version of the Marine Corps to the local community, which is something that has me on my toes all the time because I don’t want others to see the Marine Corps as something negative.”
In the Fleet Marine Force, NCOs are expected to mentor and lead Marines. This is something recruiters are still able to do, but in recruiting, they are mentoring and leading the future generation of our Corps.
“I feel like I am very passionate about the Marine Corps,” says Sgt. Josue Fragoso, a recruiter with Recruiting Sub-Station South Bay, Recruiting Station Orange County. “I always want to tell the history and legacy of the Marine Corps to the future Marines so that they have the same passion, know our heritage and traditions, and go into the Marine Corps with the ability to only make it better.”
Recruiting duty is an independent billet that relies on a Marine’s ability to adapt and take on challenges that many individuals have never done before, making it one of the hardest jobs in the Marine Corps.
“I absolutely think that being on an independent duty, my leadership skills I‘ve obtained as an NCO have assisted in me being successful on recruiting duty,” says Fragoso. “Reason being is because as a platoon sergeant of over 20 Marines it has helped me face many diverse personalities, different cultures and different leadership styles. Day-to-day, on this job, I face similar challenges when talking to potential applicants for the Marine Corps.”
The backbone of the Marine Corps can be interpreted differently by many Marines, but within the recruiting community, recruiting stations are the backbone that continue to keep the Marine Corps flourishing. Every year, they find the individuals in every community that desire to take on the challenge. Regardless of generation, almost every Marine has started their legacy with a recruiter there to help them reach their ultimate goal: becoming a United States Marine.
| Date Taken: | 01.26.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 02.04.2022 12:44 |
| Story ID: | 413888 |
| Location: | CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 438 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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