- Char ge ▁of ▁Dr ills ▁and ▁Inst ru ctions . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁command ing ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁Rec ruit ▁Dep ot , ▁Gro ff ▁innov ated ▁new ▁techniques ▁for ▁impro ving ▁the ▁efficiency ▁and ▁mor ale ▁of ▁his ▁new ▁rec ruits . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁Gro ff ▁origin ated ▁an ▁" H on or ▁Man " ▁plan ▁to ▁promote ▁competition ▁among ▁rec ruits . ▁ ▁Each ▁pl ato on ▁had ▁one ▁squad ▁leader ▁selected ▁as ▁demonstr ating ▁leadership ▁and ▁co operation . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁compet ent ▁rec ruit ▁in ▁each ▁pl ato on ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁special ▁bad ge . ▁ ▁Like wise , ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁he ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁organ izing ▁pl ato ons ▁based ▁on ▁rec ruits ' ▁blood ▁types ▁to ▁potentially ▁facil itate ▁blood ▁trans f us ions ▁at ▁advanced ▁dress ing ▁stations . ▁ ▁From ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁to ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁Gro ff ▁served ▁as ▁chief ▁of ▁staff ▁assigned ▁to ▁Head quarters ▁Company , ▁Base ▁Head quarters ▁Battalion , ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁Base , ▁San ▁Diego . ▁ ▁Colonel ▁Gro ff ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁brig ad ier ▁general ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁and ▁retired ▁shortly ▁there after . ▁ ▁Navy ▁Comm end ation ▁c itation ▁ ▁For ▁his ▁service ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁Gro ff ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Navy ▁Comm end ation ▁Rib bon ▁( l ater