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The Marines New Parent Support Program

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Okay, Marines - listen up! You thought that recruit training was tough, well you've haven't been through anything until you've roughed it through "Dad's Basic Boot Camp" or "Mom's Basic Training."


All joking aside, the Marine Corps is focused on helping new parents tackle the joy and challenges of welcoming a baby boy or girl into the family. The program is known as the "New Parent Support Program (NPSP)" and it is available to Marine families and military families from all service branches whom have an expectant mom or will soon be adopting a child.

The program is run by social workers, nurses and marriage counselors who are professionals in their fields and dedicated to helping Marine families. The special part of the program is that these professionals, are on call 24 hours a day to help Marine families with any questions or concerns.

These experts have a special understanding of the challenges that face military families, with a focus on the issues of deployment and family moves; they understand that Marine families are often hundreds of miles from their home town and friends.

The program aims to give families the skills to help them deal with the stresses that accompany the joys of being a parent; with a particular focus on how a parent can care for children while the Marine spouse is deployed. The experts also help families understand some of the basics of a child's growth and development, so they'll know what to expect as the child ages.

The program is also open to expecting parents who may already have children; it's not uncommon for families to have to adjust to having a small infant enter a growing family. The issues of new brothers and sisters learning to love and accept each other can often be helped with some skills and sound practices.

Click here to learn more about marine corps tuition assistance.

The programs services are:

  • "Basic Training" - Expecting parents learn how to care for an infant and how to interpret the needs of a newborn
  • Parent Classes - Hands on information about how to parent toddlers and young children
  • Referrals - New to the Marine Corps? This will help you find the right Marine services for your family
  • Play Morning - Interactive play group that teaches parents how to play with their children at each stage of development; understanding the cognitive and motor skills of the child is emphasized
  • Home Visits - A child pro will come to your home and help you with any concerns or questions you have about parenting styles or your child


The program is also an excellent way to meet other Marine families, learn about Marine Corps services as well as develop a support system of people who can help during the ups and downs of life in the military. The NPSP is a service of the Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS).

A NPSP team is located at all U.S. Marine Corps bases, including Hawaii and Iwakuni and Okinawa, Japan. To learn more about the program, visit http www.usmc-mccs.org

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Posted by Allied Blogger Admin @ 10:05 AM • 0 comments

Tough New Weight Regs for Marines

Monday, September 22, 2008

Marines in the Body Composition Program (BCP) who never think twice about "super-sizing" their meals might want to start changing their ways. The Corps recently announced that all Marines in the BCP - a six moth program to help Marines meet the Corps' strict weight standards - will have to restart the BCP from the beginning if they are shown to be "out of standard."


The new regulations state that everyone assigned to the BCP must stay in for the entire six-month program regardless of early progress. This new ruling is part of Commandant Gen. James Conway's larger plan to have Marines meet stricter standards of fitness and appearance.

Conway has also given commanders the authority to call out Marines who may be within the Corps' body composition guidelines, but still don't meet that commanders subjective judgment of proper appearance.

Once Marines meet the physical standards set down by the Corps, they can then start thinking about hitting the books with an online vocational course. Marines can take advantage of Marine Tuition Assistance (TA) which provides up to $4,500 a year for Marines to get started on their education. The best part is that Marines pay nothing out-of-pocket; the Marines Corps will pay the school directly, eliminating tuition funding as a source of worry.

When speaking with an admissions representative, married Marines should make sure to ask about the school's training options for military spouses. Many schools offer military spouse discounts, military spouse scholarships as well as a number of military-spouse friendly options to reduce the impact of tuition on a military family's budget.

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Posted by Allied @ 10:36 AM • 0 comments

Big Reenlistment Bonus for Marines

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The Marine Corps is looking to retain a few, good men and they plan to do it by offering reenlistments bonuses of up to $90,000.

The incentives are part of a larger plan to grow the Marine Corps to 202,000 by the completion of fiscal year 2011. Marines looking to reenlist and get the bonuses must do so on or after Oct. 1 of this year; the slots are limited because each MOS will be accepting only a specific number of reenlistments.

Despite the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Marine Corps had a strong year recruiting new Marines. And while positive signs of security and stability continue to emerge from Baghdad, the fight in Afghanistan appears to be heating up, which has lead to speculation that more Marines will soon be sent there.

This past spring Marine Corps leaders floated the idea of having the Corps withdraw entirely from Iraq and take full responsibility for the war in Afghanistan. The plan was reminiscent of how the service branches split responsibilities in World War II, with the Marines in the Pacific and the Army fighting in Europe. Despite the historical precedence, Secretary of the Defense Robert Gates rejected the proposal.

Some in-demand specialties are also eligible for a "kicker" bonus of up to $25,000. Marines in 18 select MOSs are eligible for the extra bonus, including those in infantry, linguistics as well as a host of combat-related specialties.

Marines who stay in the service will have more time to take advantage of the marine tuition assistance program, which pays up to 100% of a Marine's career training. Marine military benefits such as military tuition assistance can help a marine prepare for a career when he's ready to take off the uniform. Many schools these days also offer military scholarships for marine spouses, as well military dependent scholarships. Marines and their spouses should be sure to check out their accredited military education options.
Allied Schools, www.education4military.com

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Posted by Allied @ 9:01 AM • 0 comments

Marines Need Tan Belts and Military Tuition Assistance

Monday, September 24, 2007

This summer Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway signed a Corps-wide message requiring all active-duty and Reserve Marines to have at least a tan belt in the martial arts by the end of the year. Although the Marine's Martial Arts Program isn't new - it began in 2000 - it's estimated that nearly 30,000 active-duty Marines are still without a tan belt.

Although some Marines will surely gripe about the requirement, its purpose is to underscore the warrior ethos that should be at the heart of every man and woman who has earned the eagle, globe and anchor.

The directive also serves as a reminder that Marines must go beyond what's required of them. The program has been around for seven years, yet thousands of Marines chose not to get certified. Perhaps they weren't combat arms Marines, or maybe they believe a Marine is solely a rifleman with no business learning karate moves – it's anyone's guess.

Go ask America's enemies who fought against Marines on Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Hue City or most recently in Fallujah, how demoralizing it is to combat Marine riflemen - yet what if they now must even fear disarmed Marines who can fight with their hands? It's time for them to throw down their weapons and find a white flag.

And when Marines gets out of the Corps, the same adage surely applies to their military to civilian transition. Former Marines who attempt their transition from the military with only a high school diploma will find that their capacity to secure a well-paying career is severely limited.

Marines who took the initiative to get certified as either a tan belt, gray belt, green belt or beyond, have increased their fighting capacity as Marines. To ensure that they have just as many tools as possible when they separate from the service, Marines are also encouraged to take advantage of the US military tuition assistance program.

Marine tuition assistance pays up to 100% of a Marine's tuition and fees to an accredited military online school. That means the Corps pays for military distance learning courses up front - Marines pay nothing out of their pocket. US military tuition assistance programs are a real chance for leathernecks to train for a civilian career before they separate. Many schools offer military distance learning classes so Marines can study while deployed. Careers in real estate, the medical field or business are waiting for Marines who take the initiative now.

Marines who want to succeed both in the Corps and then when they separate, should make sure they square away their Marital Arts Program requirements, and then get the Marine Tuition Assistance funds that Uncle Sam has set aside for them.

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Posted by Heather @ 9:04 AM • 0 comments