From the Admiral
Recruiting Nation,
It is my pleasure to address you today and to thank you for the good work you are doing out in the field to help us close the gap and make mission this year. Supporting Recruiters is my top priority. Everything we are doing at Navy Recruiting Command Headquarters is designed to help you bring in qualified and motivated future Sailors to man the Fleet.
Recruiting is the most important mission in the lifeblood of our Navy. You know as well as I that the employment market is very strong. With fewer people in the job market and private sector businesses offering benefits that are competitive with the Navy, our job has become more challenging. However, with the right support and streamlined processes to help you bring future Sailors into the Navy we will succeed.
Over the next several months you will see a number of fast paced initiatives that are designed to support you. Those initiatives include data driven processes to align platforms such as Salesforce to roles and needs, improving the waiver process and enhancing our interactions with USMEPCOM to enable us to ship more recruits to Great Lakes faster.
Bringing new Sailors into the Navy is a no fail mission. Last year’s recruiting miss is primarily an issue at the apprentice level and we’ve been able to adjust for that in the Fleet. This year we will make mission for our Shipmates so that future adjustments in manning and rotations will not be necessary. We are making great strides toward that goal. We’ve increased the number of recruiters, we’ve expanded the pool of those eligible to serve. We’ve embraced and employed data analytics to help us better understand where and how to recruit. But most importantly we have established and communicated very clearly that, you, the Navy’s field Recruiters are our number one priority.
If you have ideas for how to improve our processes, reach future Sailors or have questions about anything related to our mission, do not remain silent! Your ideas may be the key to getting the next Shipmate into the Fleet. Keep up the great work, continue leaning forward and keep your eyes on the goal!
Rear Adm. Jim Waters
A Message From the CMC
Recruiting Nation,
BZ to everyone for leaning forward and your consistent effort on the push over the past several weeks. All worked hard on the medical waiver backlog. Staff from HQ and the Regions working with the N33 team, interfaced with the field and helped with a massive push to completion. This was truly a team effort to get across the line this month. Much happened and we have a lot to be proud of, but our job is not done. Keep the press on, continue prospecting and sustain our momentum.
RADM Waters and I are working hard with OPNAV and CNP to get Navy Recruiting’s MAP allocation finalized and expect a finished product soon. We are keeping your Triads informed at every marker along the way. We are committed to your success and are looking forward to recognizing our top Recruiters.
Over the past few weeks we’ve seen a lot of change throughout the Recruiting enterprise. Continue to provide feedback through your Chain of Command and up to us. Whether good or bad, the input you provide matters! Feedback from all levels down to the deckplate will be gratefully received and honestly evaluated. Your input will only make us better in the long run, so let us know your thoughts, ideas and suggestions on making the enterprise more efficient and productive. This will help us all.
Thank you all for your commitment to Navy Recruiting and the difference you are making to the Navy as a whole. Keep Charging.
CMDCM Jeremy Konopka
A Message From the NCR
Recruiting Nation,
Fantastic job crossing the line in April. Our focus at Headquarters continues to be removing barriers and providing resources in order to continue this pace. As we eliminate these barriers and administrative constraints, it’s imperative we do not become complacent in our prospecting plan execution and our sense of urgency to get applicants to MEPS. Documenting and monitoring your data in Salesforce is imperative at every level in order to track your efficiencies and ways we can improve. Obtaining our required activity on a daily basis will be the determining factor that will ensure mission attainment in the months to come and for FY24. Penetrating our hot zip codes and focusing on quality is a priority that needs to continue to be emphasized. As our ASDAD data is showing improvement in market penetration, we are also seeing our easier to fill rates approach their yearly capacity. This makes it imperative that our focus remains on our hot zip codes and our quality markets.
See you at the top!
Recruiter Quality of Life Survey
*** THE DEADLINE IS JUNE 7th. ***
The Navy and the Department of Defense (DoD) are seeking your help in gathering important information on recruiters’ work and quality of life. The 2024 Recruiter Quality of Life Survey will be influential in shaping DoD and Navy decisions concerning programs of vital importance to military recruiters.
All Navy recruiters are invited to participate in this survey, which is voluntary and currently available online. Please take a moment and complete the survey as soon as possible. You can find the survey below.
You should have received an email from recruitersurvey@forsmarsh.com with a pin. If you cannot locate your pin, you can request another below.
A WORD FROM CHAPS
Find more RADs and request items for your recruiting event online at IPOL. Tap the link below to get started.
Did you know the Recruiter eToolbox has a calendar of recruiting events? Check out the Events tab to see what events are coming up and to find more information about events coming to your local area. Check the eToolbox for many more tools and resources available to you.
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Blue Angels Schedule May - August 2024. For more info and the full schedule, tap the link below.
U.S. Navy Band AOR Map
Rear Adm. James Aiken, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, speaks to future Sailors aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) in Jacksonville, Florida, March 6, 2024. Navy Talent Acquisition Group Jacksonville's area of responsibility includes more than 30 Navy Recruiting Station and Navy Officer Recruiting Stations spread over 144,000 square miles of Florida and Georgia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jackie Hart)
Recruits take the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America during a naturalization ceremony inside the Recruit Memorial Chapel at Recruit Training Command (RTC). More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy's only boot camp. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Stuart Posada)
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Kaden Snodgrass, from Lubbock, Texas, assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln’s (CVN 72) air department, conducts training using the Multipurpose Reconfigurable Training System 3D®, March 6, 2024. Naval Education and Training Command's mission is to recruit, train and deliver those who serve our nation, taking them from street-to-fleet by transforming civilians into highly skilled, operational and combat ready warfighters. Multipurpose Reconfigurable Training System 3D®, MRTS 3D®, and the MRTS 3D logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Navy. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Zachary Melvin)
Navy Diver First Class Cole Copley helps a young boy try on a diver's helmet as he gives a thumb's up to the camera at a Special Warfare outreach table at NJROTC Nationals, hosted on Naval Air Station Pensacola, April 5-6, 2024. (U.S. Navy photo by Nava Kiss)
Balancing Act: How One Recruiter Found Fun through Work
Story and photos by Anna Jefferson, Navy Talent Acquisition Group Great Lakes
GREAT LAKES, Ill. - Being a Navy recruiter isn't easy. It's long hours on top of long days, and for some, it includes learning a completely new job.
But Navy Talent Acquisition Group Great Lakes recruiter, Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Launching and Recovery) 1st Class Cyiah Wright isn’t one to shy away from learning new things.
And this year, that meant serving as the assistant coach for girls wrestling at Hartford Union High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
It was definitely hard and it was definitely a lot,” Wright said. “But I would do it again. In a heartbeat, I would do it again.”
“[Coaching wrestling] was completely out of my comfort zone,” Wright said. “But I think people should never stop challenging themselves or forcing themselves outside of their norm. It’s good for you and it builds character.”
Two members of Wright’s team competed in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association state meet. For both of the athletes, it was also their first year wrestling.
Navy Recruiters Volunteer to Serve on San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Military Affairs Committee
Story and photos by Allen Cordova, Navy Talent Acquisition Group San Antonio Public Affairs
SAN ANTONIO - In a remarkable display of dedication and community service, two Navy recruiters, Lt. Cmdr. Markel Zatarain and Machinist Mate (Nuclear) 1st Class Kailan Neff, have taken on additional roles as members of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Military Affairs Committee. Their commitment to both military service and the local community showcases their passion for both serving their country and giving back to their community.
Zatarain, an officer recruiter, was born and raised in San Antonio. Neff, an enlisted recruiter, is from Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Both serve at Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) San Antonio and became interested in rodeo early in life.
I joined the Military Affairs Committee in 2022 with the 2023 Stock Show and Rodeo being my first volunteer event and I loved it!” Neff said.
“I was exposed to the rodeo from a young age,” said Zatarain, a former bull rider. “My two cousins, who were older than me competed in rodeos. One rode bulls and bucking horses, the other competed in steer wrestling and team roping.”
According to Neff, ever since she was little, she’s been around horses and rodeo.
High School Educators Get Inside Look at Navy Life
Story and photos by Anna Jefferson, Navy Talent Acquisition Group Great Lakes
GREAT LAKES, Ill. - Behind the gates of Naval Station Great Lakes, is an area completely foreign to the non-military community. Now, an initiative by Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Great Lakes is allowing educators to cross the threshold and step inside military life for the day.
“When you think of the Navy, you think of being out at sea,” Libertyville High School Principal, Dr. Tom Koulentes said. “But now, I have a better understanding of what the Navy is doing both ashore and out at sea.”
Dr. Koulentes is one of seven educators from local Wisconsin and Illinois high schools that participated in the Educators Orientation Visit (EOV) on February 21, 2024. The EOV allows guests to go into restricted areas and experience military life firsthand.
It really was such a great and educational visit,” Dr. Koulentes said.
Many commands across the United States have participated in educator visits before. But with the close proximity to the base, NTAG Great Lakes plans to invite educators monthly.
“With the headquarters of Military Entrance Processing Station, “Freedoms Front Door” and Naval Station Great Lakes, “the Quarterdeck of the Navy” right in their backyard, it’s important for local academic leaders to understand the benefits we provide and the capabilities we possess right here in North Chicago,” NTAG Great Lakes Executive Officer, Commander Brian Richards said.
Keel Laid for Future USNS Muscogee Creek Nation
Story and photos by Team Ships Public Affairs
HOUMA, La. – A keel laying ceremony for the future USNS Muscogee Creek Nation (T-ATS 10), the fifth ship of the Navy’s Navajo class of Towing, Salvage, and Rescue vessels was held at Bollinger Houma Shipyards, March 20.
Sponsors Geri Wisner, Attorney General of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Nicole Foster, wife of Rear Admiral Calvin Foster; and Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief David Hill attended to authenticate the keel. Members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation were also in attendance.
We are honored to have representatives of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation here to celebrate this milestone with us,” said John Lighthammer.
The keel laying ceremony formally marks the start of a ship’s life and the joining of the ship’s modular components. The keel serves as the symbolic backbone of the ship.
During the ceremony, the keel authenticators watched a welder etch their initials into the keel plate and declared it to be “truly and fairly laid.”
“We are honored to have representatives of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation here to celebrate this milestone with us,” said Program Executive Office, Ships Auxiliary and Special Mission Ships Program Manager, John Lighthammer. “The ship is critical to the operations of our fleet. Today’s ceremony is a reminder of the pride and determination of the Muscogee people it is named to honor.”