More than a quarter of this year's U.S. Naval Academy graduates will be commissioned as officers in the Marine Corps, the highest number in a decade and a reflection of the need for ground commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan. The number of graduates sought by the Marine Corps has grown steadily since the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks sent Marines into combat in the two countries. The academy had no trouble finding 273 graduating midshipmen eager to meet the Corps' request.
"Marines are involved in the fight, and a lot of these people are very desirous of being in the fight," said Lt. Col. Bill Tosick, head of officers plans for the Marines at Quantico, Va. "People join the Marine Corps to fight. We have a whole lot of that going on now."
The sense of purpose among Marines, and not simply the prospect of combat, seemed foremost to Michael Gaona, a midshipman from Rockville.
"I saw the Marines on the [academy's] Yard and how they had such a high physical standard," Gaona said. "They're mostly doing something physical."
Gaona said his parents grew up under a repressive regime in Paraguay. "They're always talking to me about how great this country is," he said. "I know this is going to sound corny or cliched, but I'm honored to serve my country in any way possible."
Gaona said his choice was influenced by a month-long summer training program known as Leatherneck, where midshipman are introduced to Marine life.
"Leatherneck was a big part of it for me, too," said Nikhil Kesireddy, a senior midshipman from Bethesda. "It's kind of where I knew I'd fit in."
The Marine Corps is under a congressional directive to expand its overall force from about 180,000 to 202,000 Marines and has consistently exceeded recruiting goals. Tosick said that growth would include adding more than 2,000 officers.
The number of Naval Academy graduates assigned to the Marine Corps each year has been stipulated under an agreement with the Navy; both the Marine Corps and the Navy come under the Department of the Navy. As the number of Marine officers has increased, they have become a larger percentage of the combined Marine-Navy officer corps. The Marines, accordingly, are entitled to a larger share of academy graduates.
"It's just our fair share," Tosick said. "We [now] make up roughly 30 percent of the Navy Department's officers. We're getting 25 to 26 percent [of the graduates]. We're happy with that."