It’s the end of the fiscal year and the results are in. He did it again.
Capt. Chad Morton, officer selection officer, Officer Selection Station Kansas City, took the title of 9th Marine Corps District OSO of the Year for fiscal year 2006.
“Captain Morton is the OSO of the Year because he is determined to succeed. Failure is not an option,” said Lt. Col. Darrin Kazlauskas, commanding officer, Recruiting Station Kansas City. “He and his (Officer Selection Team) are tenacious in ensuring not only they hit all their milestones, but their mission as well.”
Earning the title of “OSO of the Year” for the second time wasn’t just an award to Morton; it was a reward for all of his hard work.
Morton set his goal at the beginning of the year to write 50 contracts, and he and his team surpassed it by two contracts.
Morton credits his recruiting success to his experience.
“Most people think OSO duty is about sales, but it isn’t,” Morton said. “OSO duty is majority management. When applicants come to you, for the most part, they are already sold on the Marine Corps. It takes great management of the applicants prior to training. Management includes everything from administrative forms, to grades, and making sure they’re prepared physically for training.”
In addition to experience, this Excelsior Springs, Mo., native credits his accomplishments to his OST.
“I’m also successful because of my entire OSO team,” said Morton. “I have an OST with clearly defined roles. Jeremy, the (Human Resources assistant), assists with the administrative work, and Gunnery Sergeant Deain helps with prospecting and selling. Together we work as a team to complete the mission.”
According to Morton, working for a supportive recruiting station commanding officer also helps accomplish the mission.
“The (commanding officer) provides a lot of logistical support throughout the year,” said Morton. “We (the OST) are fortunate enough to have two vehicles, which allows us to be in two different locations at a time. This is helpful when you have more than 100,000 square miles to cover, saving manpower time.”
In addition to the vehicle support, the commanding officer helps by providing aviation support on Priority One campuses, according to Morton.
If you are a new OSO, Morton recommends making your mission by putting quality people in the Corps.
“OSO duty is not the time to take a break,” said Morton. “Consider yourself as the gatekeeper. It’s your job to discern the pretenders from those who want to truly serve.”
To help prepare for the next fiscal year, Morton is focusing on maintaining his pool program for his turnover.
“When I leave the recruiting station, I want to give my replacement something to work with: a sound OST and pool.”