NRD New England Sailor of the Week– FC1 Jeffery Bednarek

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Joshua Wahl | BOSTON (Feb. 09, 2020) - Fire Controlman 1st Class Jeffery Bednarek from Gales Ferry, Connecticut is the Navy Recruiting District New England Sailor of the week. (U.S. Navy graphic by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Joshua J. Wahl)  

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES

02.09.2020

Story by Chief Petty Officer Joshua Wahl 

Navy Talent Acquisition Group New England

Story by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Joshua J. Wahl, Navy Recruiting District New England Public Affairs

Fire Controlman 1st Class Jeffery Bednarek attached to Navy Recruiting Station Quincy, is the Navy Recruiting District New England Sailor of the week.

Bednarek grew up in Gales Ferry, Connecticut, graduating from nearby Ledyard High School. His mom was a Navy Legalman while his dad served as a Navy Nuclear technician and Navy Diver. He said it was family was that help forged his vision for a career in the military.

"I joined the Navy to pursue my interest and use the Navy as a stepping stone to learning a trade," said Bednarek. Robotics, working or fixing electronic equipment, there are a lot of job opportunities for us in the Navy."

Tasked with ensuring naval weapon systems are operational and ready, the FC community is where Bednarek began. It is a technical and challenging rating that he grew to understand while serving aboard the USS Bataan (LHD 5).

"On the ship, if my system needed to fixed, I would go fix it, and I go back to doing my daily job," said Bednarek. "Here you might go to an
interview, and they don't show up; it can be frustrating.

FC1 recently checked into the to the recruiting command, now a little over two months into his tour, he is facing new challenges of working in a scattered environment over a large geographical area. A place where he said he must perform outside of his regular job descriptions to fulfill goals far removed from his usual expectations.

"Recruiting is a whole different world," said Bednarek. "You end up being independent, and most of your success depends on your drive to help other people."

To meet the challenge, FC1 said he hopes to convert any job hurdles with optimism while evolving his own recruiting techniques.

"I am beating myself up more than I should," said Bednark. "I'm critical of myself because I expect the best. I think being here will make me more well-rounded as a person because this is out of my element for me. So, growing every day."

• Date Taken: 02.09.2020
• Date Posted: 02.10.2020 20:39
• Story ID: 362487
• Location: BOSTON, MA, US
• Hometown: GALES FERRY, CT, US