Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Stafford | 190926-N-FC991-0001 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Sept. 24, 2019) Navy Counselor 1st Class...... read more read more
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By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sean Stafford, Navy Recruiting District Jacksonville Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Often times Sailors who join the Navy do so because they want an adventure. Many are looking to get away from their hometown, not get back to it. But for Nelson Cooper, who joined the Navy as an Operations Specialist, that wasn’t the case. After being out to sea on the USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) out of Little Creek, Virginia, he was ready for familiarity.
It was 2007, Cooper had promoted to second class, his tour was ending and he was ready to be stationed closer to home. For Cooper, a native of Jacksonville, Navy Recruiting was the answer he was looking for.
Cooper asked for a lot of advice before making his decision. It would take him outside of his rate as an Operations Specialist and drop him way outside of his comfort zone. Ultimately though, he took the chance.
“My first go around was great,” said Cooper. “I ended up being stationed at Naval Recruiting Station Orange Park in Jacksonville, and within my first 10 months on board, I was runner up ‘recruiter of the year’ for Naval Recruiting District Jacksonville and was capped [meritoriously promoted] to first class with my first year.”
After three years helping civilians start their journey as Sailors, his first tour in recruiting came to an end, and Cooper felt ready to go back to the fleet and once again life a life at sea.
“I left because I wanted to have the experience of being an OS1 [operations specialist first class] and leading Sailor out in the fleet,” said Cooper. “At that time in my life, I wasn’t ready to be a full-time recruiter for the rest of my career.”
After a three-year tour in Bahrain, Cooper was stationed with Coastal Riverine Group Two (CRG 2) in Portsmouth, Virginia, working on an Admiral’s staff.
“When I was back stateside, I thought about recruiting and how much I missed it,” said Cooper. “I had a few friends that had converted to NC [Navy Counselor], and seeing how much success they were having really sold me on the idea of converting.”
Cooper decided to put in a rating conversion package to convert to Navy Counselor (Recruiter) while on sea duty. He was selected for the program within two weeks. He said his positive recruiting tour and proper qualifications allowed for his quick selection into the program.
Getting his new career on track, Cooper was able to spend one-year temporary assignment duty (TAD) with Naval Recruiting District Richmond, Virginia, prior to heading to Pensacola, Florida, for Career Recruiting Force Academy, where he learned how to run his own station and take care of recruiters.
“Having been out of recruiting for five years, I pushed myself hard though school,” said Cooper. “I really wanted to prove to myself that I could be a good NC1 [navy counselor first class]. I received the ‘most likely to succeed’ award leaving school. I still have it hanging on my wall.”
Navy recruiting is a competitive job for even the most seasoned recruiters, which is why Cooper recommends weighing the options before converting.
“Time and time again, I tell Sailors thinking about converting to NC to try it for two years to see what it’s like before you dive in,” said Cooper. “Every month and every year is different. Anyone looking at converting should experience the highs and lows before making the commitment. You have to want to do this job.”
Cooper, like many career recruiters, enjoys being stationed close to home and doing what he loves. He said one of the most rewarding parts of being back home is helping civilians start their career in the Navy because the job can take them anywhere in the world, and in a few instances, can even take them right back home.
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 17 Navy Recruiting Districts and nine Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,330 recruiting stations across the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2019 14:16 |
| Story ID: | 344203 |
| Location: | JACKSONVILLE, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 530 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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