WASHINGTON, May 30 (UPI) -- Despite four years of tough combat deployments, the U.S. Marine Corps has retained a higher percentage of top recruits.
The Center for Naval Analyses in April analyzed the Marines' first term re-enlistment population and determined that the quality has continually improved over the last six years, with more first tier recruits remaining in the Marine Corps than drop out after four years.
"Some question whether the Marine Corps is re-enlisting its best Marines at the end of the first term or if those who reenlist are of lower quality than those who do not [perhaps because high quality Marines leave for better civilian opportunities]," states the study. "Historically the Marine Corps has been very successful at retaining top quality Marines. But much of the evidence for the retention of high-quality Marines has been anecdotal."
The Center looked at the records for all first-term Marines in the top category for the last five years, at those who scored as "smart" in the top 50 percent in the Armed Forces Qualifying Test, who graduated from high school, and who were dedicated athletes with demonstrated physical discipline. It then compared the rates of re-enlistment to those who separated.
"In summary, the FTAP population generally has improved over the last six years, and smart, high school diploma graduate and Class 1 [physical fitness testers] are more heavily represented in the population of those who reenlist than those in the population who separate," the report said.
About a quarter of the first-term Marines up for re-enlistment have been in combat deployments in the last two years.
