‘Joining Marines great opportunity to start career’

Exposure to qualifications in joining the military is the biggest challenge in the recruitment efforts of the Marine Corps in the CNMI, according to Brig. Gen. Daniel D. Yoo.

“But once the students understand what our standards are, they strive to meet [these standards,],” Yoo said on Friday.

Yoo, commanding general for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot/Western Recruiting Region led the visiting seven-member delegation from San Diego, California in a brief first visit to Saipan.

The group, which arrived after visiting Guam, had lunch at the El Marino Haven Restaurant, the Saipan restaurant dedicated to the Marines, before paying a courtesy visit to Mayor Donald G. Flores.

Yoo described the process of joining the military as “very competitive.”

“All the students that come into the Marine Corps right now are high school graduates and they’re all in the upper categories for their standardized test,” said Yoo. “It’s very competitive. As you know, everyone else is downsizing as well, too, so there won’t be as many opportunities.”

Yoo said they are looking for the “best and the brightest.” “Saipan has a lot of them. That’s why we have somebody here [to coordinate recruitment],” he added.

The general said the purpose of their trip is to visit their recruitment office on island, which is run by Sgt. Gregorio Comeo.

“We have one recruiter here that’s part of the larger recruiting substation in Guam. We came out to visit him and see how he’s doing. He’s new out here. He’s been out here three months now,” said Yoo.

According to Yoo, recruitment efforts in the CNMI have “been very good.”

“The support from the local community and the leadership of the mayor has been wonderful. With all the Marines that have joined the Marine Corps from Saipan have been very successful, that’s why we maintain a recruiter out here all the time,” he said.

Joining the Marine Corps, Yoo said, is “a great opportunity to start a career” and get education benefits while serving their country.

“There are opportunities definitely in the Marine Corps for those that are interested and qualified,” he said.

Yoo, who was on island for the first time, said Saipan is a “wonderful” and “beautiful” island where people are “very, very kind.”

“For us Marines, this is really hallow ground because of 1944 and the major camp we had here and we lost a lot of our predecessors here,” he added.

Mayor Flores, for his part, said he supports recruitment efforts of the Marine Corps here in the CNMI.

“The Marines are really concentrating on recruiting our young men and women here and they should. They should look attentively in trying to join the military,” he said.

During Friday’s meeting, Flores and Yoo exchanged gifts and souvenir items. The group went back to the mainland on Saturday.

For more information about joining the Marine Corps, visit their office located next to Noni Juice in Ladera Building along Beach Road or call 235-1881 or 82.