Courtesy Photo | Spc. Jessica Williams, 14th Human Resources Support Command, shakes hands with Maj....... read more read more
Subscribe
By Spc. Elayseah Woodard-Hinton
Desert Voice Staff Writer
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - Should I stay or should I go?" This is a question that all service members ask themselves, at one point, when their contract nears an end.
For some, there may be a simple answer to that question. But for those who are not quite sure on which direction to go, the U.S. Army Central Retention office offers a few reasons on why re-enlisting is worthwhile.
"You can't fight a war without Soldiers," said Sgt. Major Mark Mayo, retention, USARCENT.
Mayo, an Alford, Fla., native explains that one of the main reasons Soldiers choose not to re-enlist is because of deployments that keep them away from their families.
"I always make sure Soldiers understand I appreciate what they do and I understand where they are coming from," said Mayo.
Although Mayo, who is married with six children, understands the struggle Soldiers face when choosing between duty to their family and duty to their country, he asks those Soldiers who can afford to sacrifice a little more of their time to consider re-enlisting.
The country is at war and a Soldier's sacrifice helps make the world a better place for their families, said Mayo.
For Spc. Jessica Williams, 14th Human Resources Support Command, family was one of the main reasons she decided to re-enlist for three additional years.
"I basically did it for my son," said Williams. "I just want more for him. I have a little man, so I am going to do everything I can to make his life easier as far as going to school, benefits and things like that."
Soldiers who choose to re-enlist are often eligible for re-enlistment options that can help benefit their family, career or financial situation.
Some of the most common re-enlistment options available are stabilization at current station or unit, which allows a Soldier to stay at their current duty station for up to an additional 12-months; relocation to a new duty station of choice; re-classification into another military occupation specialty and re-enlistment bonuses, which are tax free for Soldiers who re-enlist while deployed.
Although it is the overall mission of the retention group to keep Soldiers, one of the major focuses for the USARCENT retention team is helping Soldiers advance their careers.
"I don't just talk to you about re-up and re-enlisting, I talk to you about where you want to go with your career and how to manage to get you to where you want to go," said Mayo.
Mayo feels that this part of the retention team's mission is important because the Army's future leaders are those Soldiers who are currently serving and have gained tactical and technical experience in the military.
"We are keeping the people who already have the experience," said Mayo. "That's going to carry the Army to the next step."
Good leaders are what sealed the deal for Williams when she chose to re-enlist. She gives credit to Sgt. Ebony Harris and Maj. Kimberly Mercy, G1, USARCENT, for being good leaders and said that they played a major role in her deciding to stay and work even harder toward advancing her career so that she too can become a good leader.
"Just don't give up," was the advice Williams gave for service members who are debating re-enlisting.
"It took a lot for me to say 'ok, I am going to go ahead and re-enlist,'" said Williams who was ready to get out after this deployment. "But it's not a matter of giving up, it's a matter of pushing forward to become a better person and just go for it."
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2008 04:19 |
| Story ID: | 24660 |
| Location: | CAMP BUEHRING, KW |
| Web Views: | 295 |
| Downloads: | 267 |
This work, Re-up, you're crazy ... or maybe not, by SPC Elayseah Woodard-Hinton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT