Burlington Recruiting Company Mans Exhibit At Champlain Valley Fair

Photo By Ronald A. Reeves | Staff Sgt. Joel Trombley, inside the G.I. Johnny inflatable suit, along with fellow Burlington Company Army Recruiter Staff Sgt. Sean Forbis man the recruiting exhibit at The Champlain Valley Fair. The 10-day event ends Sept. 6, 2015, culminating with a concert by Grammy-Award winning Country Music group Little Big Town.  

ESSEX JUNCTION, VT, UNITED STATES

09.01.2015

Story by Ronald A. Reeves 

U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion-Albany

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. - Near the “World’s Smallest Horse” and across from a Ferris Wheel, Army Recruiters from Burlington Company erected their own “big top” at The Champlain Valley Fair in Essex Junction, Vermont.

Recruiters arrived Friday, Aug. 28 to stay until the fair’s conclusion Sunday, Sept. 6 displaying an armored Humvee, an arcade-like basketball goal, and confidence-building rock wall climb, plus a machine to personalize dog tags. The fair averages attendance of more than 250,000 people during its total run.

Burlington Company, under command of Albany Recruiting Battalion is headquartered in South Burlington with five recruiting centers. Three are located in Vermont: Barre, Rultand and Burlington, which is co-located with company headquarters in South Burlington. Vermont’s two largest cities are Burlington and South Burlington. The Glens Falls and Plattsburgh recruiting centers are in neighboring New York.

Staff Sgt. Sean Forbis, Burlington Company recruiter, was making dog tags under the tent area and said that the fair gives recruiters a lot more exposure, especially once school and the younger bonafide prospects begin arriving.

Burlington Company 1st Sgt. Richard Lange has a unique perspective due to his previous service while serving as a recruiter prior to his promotion. Lange is attending his seventh Champlain Valley Fair.

“We historically enlist two to three Future Soldiers as a result of the team’s efforts here at the expo,” said Lange. He added that the total attendance during the fair is nearly 40 percent of Vermont’s population. The 2010 U.S. Census shows Vermont’s population was 625,741.

Staff Sgt. James Kendall is in his final months of a three-year assignment as a U.S. Army Recruiter, pulling duty at his third Champlain Valley Fair. He says that one positive aspect of the team’s efforts to set up the recruiting exhibit is the public relations exposure.

“We meet an awful lot of people and answer a lot of questions. We never know when one of those people might be a relative who is an influence of a younger person who may be considering enlisting in the Army,” Kendall said.

Recruiters spanning the Burlington Company’s recruiting area in Vermont need every advantage possible and must utilize every potential recruiting tool in their proverbial arsenal due to the challenges present in Vermont. Most notably is that the 2010 U.S. Census shows that Vermont has the second oldest median age of all states.

“This fair [Champlain Valley Fair] gives us great exposure with young people. We get huge foot traffic here by the rides,” said Sgt. Sean Windfelder.

“Sunday will be a huge day because Little Big Town will perform,” said Staff Sgt. Sean Forbis.

Little Big Town has toured with the biggest acts in Country Music, charted two number one Country Hits, won a Grammy Award and many Country Music awards.

Burlington Company Recruiters were eager to man the recruiting exhibit at the Champlain Valley Fair during its 10-day run, according to 1st Sgt. Lange. Just like the many dairy farmers in Vermont say: “You have to make hay while the sun shines.”

Burlington Company Army Recruiters know that from December through February, the average temperature will remain below freezing. Traversing a state that is 77 percent forest won’t be as easy as manning a recruiting exhibit at The Champlain Valley Fair during summer.

• Date Taken: 09.01.2015
• Date Posted: 09.02.2015 13:10
• Story ID: 175021
• Location: ESSEX JUNCTION, VT, US