MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Marines considering a special duty assignment have a diverse and interesting group to choose from. Traditional B-billets include recruiter, Marine Security Guard, and the drill instructor. But most Marines are vaguely familiar with the newest institution that has been added to the line up, military occupational specialty 8513, combat instructor.

Although a fledgling special duty, this revamped duty offers many of the same benefits it counterparts are known for, and the list is only improving.

One benefit of being a combat instructor is the fact that it is a special duty assignment, which means it is looked upon favorably at staff non-commissioned officer promotion boards. But non commissioned officers coming into the field don't have to wait until they are sergeants before they have an advantage for promotion, upon graduation from the Marine Combat Instructor Course; 100 points are awarded for their composite score.

Alongside the prestige of a special duty assignment, meritorious promotion opportunities are held Corps-wide for a total of four gunnery sergeants and eight staff sergeants.

Even more, the Instructor of the Year also receives a meritorious promotion.

"If you come down here, and you are a hard worker, there is no reason you should leave here the same rank," said Sgt. Maj. Timothy D. Bauman, Infantry Training Battalion, sergeant major.

"It is almost impossible to make meritorious gunny on the drill field," said Bauman speaking from first-hand experience as a prior senior drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego from 1991 to 1994. "It's not hard here at all," he said.

Marines with families will appreciate the stability of remaining at Camp Pendleton or Camp Lejeune, N.C. since instructors are non-deployable during their tour, and the school is a seven-week course offered at both locations.

Once a Marine completes his or her tour at the School of Infantry, they will be given geographical preference for their next assignment and staff non-commissioned officers can choose their specific duty station.

Marines in the combat instructor field often dedicate a great deal of time to training new Marines to be warriors, so they won't have much time for any additional training for themselves. Fortunately, resident level professional military education is waived.

Currently, combat instructors also receive an additional $75 dollars a month for special duty pay, but that amount is expected to double by October, according to Bauman.

With so many benefits offered, Marine non-commissioned officers have been filling the ranks at the Marine Combat Instructor Course, but one group is in short supply and high demand.

"We really need some staff sergeants and gunnys to step forward and come up to the plate to take on the challenge," said Bauman.

"Our gunnys and staff sergeants are over their three year mark, we've been forced to hold them hear until replacements start coming through the new Marine Corps Combat Instructor Course," he said.

The course in itself offers skills that will not only benefit the Marine, but will improve the quality of the Marine Corps even after the instructor has left the School of Infantry.

Marines who have attended the course will attend the Formal School Instructor Course for eight days where they learn to create and implement a period of instruction that qualifies them as a platform instructor.

In addition, the course is also worth three college credits.

The Marine Corps benefits by having Marines qualified to conduct combat-skills sustainment-training once they return to their primary military occupational specialty.

Overall, the Marine Corps will continue to progress and evolve with every new combat instructor that is made.

Marines interested in becoming a combat instructor need to see their unit's career planner.