BOISE, Idaho – More than three-dozen former Marine Reservists enlisted into the Idaho Army National Guard Sept. 13. Idaho’s newest Citizen-Soldiers all served in Company C, 4th Tank Battalion, which was deactivated in August as the Marines look to divest armor battalions.
“Marines make excellent Soldiers,” said Brig. Gen. Farin Schwartz, commander, Idaho Army National Guard. “They each have the potential to make an immediate impact to their new unit and have already proven to be successful in the military.”
New recruits can take six to 18 months to train before they can reach their assigned unit and once there, must continue to train and learn their new job before they can contribute successfully to their unit’s mission. Most of the Marines who transferred into the National Guard will have similar positions when possible, Schwartz said.
Marine 1st Sgt. Craig Wilcox said more than a third of the company’s Marines transferred into the Idaho Army National Guard for one of two reasons: to continue to serve their country locally or to continue to work on or in tanks. Company C operated the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, while the 116th Brigade Combat Team operates the updated M1A2 Sep v.
“I looked at all of my options and I knew I wanted to stay in Idaho because my family is here,” said Staff Sgt. Kyle Dycus, one of the Marines who transitioned into the Idaho Army National Guard. “Initially, I wanted to stay within the tank community but decided to look for a more real-world option for my future, and I chose the information technology field. I am looking at this from a positive aspect, and I am thankful for this new opportunity. Change can often be a good thing.”
The majority of the 39 Marines who enlisted into the Idaho Army National Guard are tankers, maintainers and other support individuals.
“We tried to match their Marine skill set to an Army MOS (military occupational specialty) as much as possible,” Schwartz said. “And we’ll continue to pay then special attention for the foreseeable future to ensure their transition is as smooth as possible.”
Wilcox said Marine Reservists were given the option of transferring to a new job and unit in the Marine Reserve, to transfer to a new branch or join the Individual Ready Reserve. An additional 10 Marines joined National Guard units in other states.
The number of Marines to transition into the Idaho Army National Guard increases the total strength of the organization by more than a percent.
In 2019 the Marine Corps began divesting its tanks and reducing its artillery cannon battalions to focus on developing light mobility options to get around island chains with the assistance of unmanned systems and mobile anti-ship missiles. The efforts are part of Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger’s plan to modernize the corps to become a lighter and faster force.
The Marines also plan to reduce their number of infantry battalions from 24 to 21, artillery cannon batteries from 21 to five and amphibious vehicle companies from six to four.