Photo By Staff Sgt. Daisy Broker | U.S. Army Master Sgt. Earl Ventura, second from left, from the Hawaii Army National...... read more read more
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By: Staff Sgt. Daisy Broker
HOUSTON – More than 40 Soldiers in pristine World War II-style Army green dress uniforms lined the wall of a hotel ballroom in Houston, TX as Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, Director of the Army National Guard, recognized their recruiting and retention successes during the 2024 Directors Strength Maintenance Awards Conference March 14.
Seven Army National Guard recruiters heard their name and took the stage as candidates for selection as the Recruiting and Retention Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, each hopeful of hearing their name called as the overall winner.
“Sgt. 1st Class Robert Williams,” Jensen announced.
Williams moved to the front of the stage with a smile on his face while accepting the director’s recognition and the official title of top Recruiting and Retention Non-Commissioned Officer.
“Receiving an award like this means a lot,” Williams said. “It means that everyone else knows I am working as hard as I am. All the hard work and time away from my family paid off, so I can continue to do a good job supporting them.”
In today’s climate of Army National Guard end strength challenges, recruiting and retention Soldiers are working tirelessly to meet, with the goal of surpassing, mission requirements of recruiting and retention.
Williams wasn’t the only Soldier recognized publicly during the event though. Staff Sgt. Andrea Rayburn, a recruiting and retention non-commissioned officer with the Louisiana Army National Guard, took home honors of being the Army Guard’s top Production Recruiting and Retention NCO for Fiscal Year 2023.
“Staff Sgt. Andrea Rayburn, a mother of three, achieved an impressive forty-six enlistments,” said Jensen. “That is the highest number by a single recruiting and retention NCO last fiscal year.”
The Soldiers honored at the evenings event met and exceeded annual mission requirements and standards according to recruiting and retention officials.
When asked about accomplishments, Rayburn joked about “blood, sweat, and tears” and continued to say that recruiting and retention is “a lot of hard work and dedication. Just putting in the work, putting in the hours, and taking care of Soldiers, that’s what it’s all about.”
In Fiscal Year 2023, 3,515 Army National Guard recruiters enlisted 29,451 recruits, averaging 8 per recruiter. Staff Sgt. Rayburn enlisted 46 recruits, vastly surpassing her peers.
When asked about work-life balance, Rayburn, with children of ages 17, 11, and seven, said, “I am there for every softball game and every wrestling match. I prioritize and try to spread myself as far as possible to care for everybody.”
The Directors Strength Maintenance Awards Conference provides an opportunity for recruiting and retention professionals to problem-solve, share knowledge, and exchange information. During the four-day conference, the awards ceremony evening is taken to recognize the overall top Army National Guard Recruiter, top production recruiter, as well as the top Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention non-commissioned officer in charge for fiscal year 2023.
Master Sgt. Earl Ventura from the Hawaii National Guard was named the fiscal year 2023 top Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention non-commissioned officer in charge during the ceremony.
“The conference is a great networking experience because you meet people from all over the nation,” said Ventura. “You get to talk about what’s working and what’s not.”
Networking, exchanging best practices and getting to meet the best National Guard recruiters in the nation was a common theme regarding the conference content. Several recruiters mentioned this conference provides the opportunity to tackle challenges together.
“As recruiting and retention professionals, you hold a special trust with the American people and the Soldiers of the Army National Guard; you hold the keys to opportunities that many members of your local communities and those currently in our ranks look for,” said Jensen. “Your efforts fill the ranks of our organization, inspiring confidence in your state leaders to accomplish our state and federal missions.”
The officers and non-commissioned officers recognized at the conference are touted as the best in the Army Guard, according to leadership. They represent the faces of the Army Guard that interface directly with the public and are often a potential recruits first interaction with a Soldier of the Army National Guard.
| Date Taken: | 03.14.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2024 13:40 |
| Story ID: | 467271 |
| Location: | HOUSTON, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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