Photo By Staff Sgt. Brandon Little | The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade retention team (from front to back, and left to...... read more read more
By Sgt. Brandon Little
Task Force XII
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Some 12th Combat Aviation Brigade Soldiers chose to reenlist on the flight-line, some from the top of a building and others have even done it in an aircraft soaring more than 2,000 feet in the air.
Regardless of the location, the Soldiers made the commitment to remain as part of the Army Team; and as such, the 12th CAB retention program has excelled as the brigade reached its reenlistment goals ahead of the rest of U.S. Army Europe.
With more than three months left in the fiscal year, the career counselors and retention non-commissioned officers in Multi-National Division Baghdad's 12th CAB have already reenlisted 539 Soldiers – and counting, while dishing out nearly $5 million in bonuses.
"We normally get the retention (fiscal year goals), Oct. 1, and we have until, Sept. 30, of the following year to accomplish that mission," said Master Sgt. Joseph Organ, the 12th CAB senior career counselor. "Normally it takes everyone the whole fiscal year to do it, but we reached our goal, June 6 – right around nine months."
"The 12th CAB retention group has done a phenomenal job, and they are second to none," said Command Sgt. Maj. H. Lee Kennedy, the brigade's senior enlisted leader. "They make every effort to go that extra mile to make sure they're taking care of Soldiers."
The retention numbers include all the deployed 12th CAB units as well as those supporting the families and missions back in Europe. Nearly 40 percent of the Soldiers who took the reenlistment oath chose to remain part of the 12th CAB organization.
"Each battalion has a great career counselor, or a retention NCO, and they're the ones out there talking to the Soldiers," said Organ, who hails from San Angelo, Texas. "Command involvement and NCO leadership has also played a huge part in our success because they are the one who are getting those Soldiers to go talk to the retentions NCOs."
The retention NCOs and career counselors in 12th CAB have traveled all over Iraq to take care of reenlisting Soldiers in person – not over E-mail, said Kennedy, a native of Abington, Va.
The Soldiers reenlisted for various options that ranged from current station stabilization to reclassification of their military occupational specialties.
"I was stuck in an military occupational specialty that wasn't good for my career, and my retention NCO, Sgt. 1st Class Eboni Britton, got me the MOS I wanted and a class date before I signed any papers," said Sgt. Matthew Bowles, an automated systems maintainer in Company C, 412th Aviation Support Battalion, and a native of Sacramento, Calif. "They are always about trying to get Soldiers what they want, not what's best for statistics."
Even though hefty bonuses and/or duty station of choice might be tempting offers, some Soldiers decided to reenlist just because they love being in the Army, said Organ.
"A lot of people are quick to assume that it's the money that makes all these Soldiers reenlist, but that's not always the case," he said. "Nearly 100 of our Soldiers reenlisted for needs of the Army, and they didn't get a bonus or a duty station."
There have also been several unique reenlistment ceremonies, such as spouses reenlisting together and one spouse reenlisting the other.
"Even though we have met our retention goals, we're far from done," said Organ. "We will probably do nearly a third of the number of reenlistments we have done so far over the final three months.
However, we shouldn't forget that it's important not to treat the Soldiers who are getting out of the Army any different and to thank them for their outstanding service as well."
No matter where they do it or what type of ceremony they have, 12th CAB Soldiers have met and exceeded USAREUR's retention expectations.
"My favorite part of this job is that you get to deal with the brigade's finest Soldiers," said Organ. "There's nothing more satisfying than a Soldier asking you for a hard-to-get assignment, and you match that Soldier's wants along with the Army's needs – and you get that assignment for them."
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2008 09:15 |
| Story ID: | 20340 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 313 |
| Downloads: | 259 |
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