Call in the geek squad.
As the Marine Corps gets increasingly technology-focused in calibrating for future battles, the service is, for the third year in a row, preparing to dole out substantial enlistment bonuses to recruits willing and able to do battle in the cyber realm.
According to a Marine Corps Administrative Message published Nov. 3, bonuses worth up to $15,000 are available for enlistees in the fields of electronic maintenance and cyber and crypto operations.
“The [Enlistment Incentive Program] supports the recruiting effort in acquiring the talent necessary to support the Force Design and [Fleet Marine Force],” the message states. “These various programs ensure qualified applicants are aligned to a program that best fits their desires and talents.”
Within the field of electronic maintenance, 11 military occupational specialties qualify for the $15,000 enlistment bonus, ranging from electro-optical ordnance repairer to tactical air operations/air defense systems. In the cyber and crypto operations field, five military occupational specialties qualify, including electronic intelligence/electronic warfare analyst; cryptologist language analyst; and intelligence surveillance reconnaissance systems engineer.
Still on the table for enlisted recruits are bonuses of $5,000 and $10,000 for shipping out on a schedule designated by the Marine Corps; or $7,000 and $15,000, respectively, for committing to one or two additional years of service.
At least one enlistment bonus category is missing from the list. Last year’s bonus lineup included a $9,000 “targeted investment shipping bonus” applicable to Marines who earned a military occupational specialty in a list of designated career fields including aviation crew, IT and intel, and agreed to begin an obligated service timeline following that award.
The pivot to investing enlistment bonus money in tech fields began in fiscal 2024, in recognition of the service’s growing and future skills needs.
“As we progress towards an “invest and retain” model, it is ever more critical that we channel applicants into the right occupational fields to maximize our return on investment and increase Marines’ propensity to serve beyond their initial contract,” officials said in the most recent bonus message, as well as that of the last two years.
The previous year’s bonuses included a more expansive list of targeted career fields, including an extended-tour infantry option, music career fields and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear jobs.
Among all the military services, the Marine Corps has been the most consistent in recent years at making its enlisted accessions targets, even as the other services have missed their marks. This year, amid a historic recruiting surge, the Corps hit its target of 30,536 enlisted Marines. The job-targeted bonuses underscore the continued challenge of filling roles that require additional skills and proficiency, or face additional competition for talent from higher-paying civilian employers.
But largely the Corps continues to stand its ground in downplaying bonuses and emphasizing instead the culture and prestige of service.
“Your bonus is that you get to call yourself a Marine,” Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith, then the Corps’ No. 2, said in 2023. “That’s your bonus. … There’s no dollar amount that goes with that.”
Hope Hodge Seck is an award-winning investigative and enterprise reporter covering the U.S. military and national defense. The former managing editor of Military.com, her work has also appeared in the Washington Post, Politico Magazine, USA Today and Popular Mechanics.