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CHICAGO (NNS) – When Operations Specialist Petty Officer 2nd Class Derek Nguyen left his hometown of Aurora, IL, to join the Navy, all he was looking for was a chance to be part of something great. Six years later, he is reaching his goal…in more ways than one.
After serving aboard the USS Essex (LHD-2), homeported in San Diego, CA, Nguyen returned to Illinois as a recruiter for Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Great Lakes. One year later, he was named Sailor of the Quarter, Recruiter of the Quarter, and Number One Recruiter for NTAG Great Lakes.
“Recruiting is important to me because I represent the Navy,” said Nguyen. “My biggest strength is that I am self-driven, and I never settle for less. So far it has been a great experience.”
Nguyen immigrated from the Philippines in 2007 at the age of 13.
“We didn’t have a lot, but many people helped us out,” said Nguyen. “The Navy provided me with opportunities to travel and gave me financial stability but recruiting gives me the opportunity to show that Sailors are regular people, too, and we give back to the communities who have given us so much.”
An avid soccer player, Nguyen maintained good relationships with his previous coaches and now volunteers as a coach and referee for youth soccer. Volunteering in this way gave him an outlet to continue to do what he loves while interacting with the members of his community and spreading Navy Awareness.
“I initially joined the Navy when I was 20 years old in order to pay for college, but every time I came home to visit I saw everyone I knew from home doing the same thing,” said Nguyen. “I decided to make the Navy a career while obtaining my degree. I like being able to help in my community and give others the chance to receive the same opportunities I got.”
For now, Nguyen is focused on earning a promotion to Petty Officer 1st Class and completing as much of his college coursework as possible while recruiting. To date, he has completed four college courses toward his degree in Computer Science and recently purchased his first home through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Loan program.
“I plan on doing 20 years in the Navy and getting into real estate afterward,” said Nguyen. “That’s the goal.”
NTAG Great Lakes, part of Navy Recruiting Command (NRC), is assigned 61,945 square miles across Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana, Eastern Wisconsin, and the Western Upper
Peninsula of Michigan. It is composed of a headquarters element and two geographically defined Talent Acquisition Onboarding Centers (TAOCs) in Milwaukee and Chicago, which encompass 36 recruiting stations charged with the mission to provide the Navy Fleet with the proper quantity and quality of Sailors to keep our Navy and our Nation strong.
NRC consists of a command headquarters, two Navy Recruiting Regions, 10 Navy Recruiting Districts and 16 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 815 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: | 08.10.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.10.2020 15:20 |
| Story ID: | 375656 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, IL, US |
| Hometown: | AURORA, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 161 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Going for the Goal, by Aren Everett, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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