Photo By Alun Thomas | Staff Sgt. Brittany Bell, recruiter, Goodyear Recruiting Station, Phoenix West...... read more read more
GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Even as a child, Staff Sgt. Brittany Bell found herself seeking higher ambitions in life, whether through education or sport.
She ended up finding both, before deciding she needed a new challenge.
Bell achieved this by joining the U.S. Army in 2010, seeking an outlet for new adventures and opportunities, a decision that has realized those wishes decisively.
Bell’s current assignment as a recruiter for Goodyear Recruiting Station, Phoenix West Recruiting Company, is the latest stop on her journey, one that began in an extended family in late 1980’s Los Angeles.
“I come from a blended family, where I am the youngest of four from my mother and father, but I was raised with two half siblings and step-siblings,” Bell said. “We didn’t have a whole lot of money, but we sure had a whole lot of family. My childhood was interesting because it was never a dull moment with all of us under one roof.”
Bell said she took school very seriously, realizing it was the pathway to a better future.
“Achieving good grades in school was very important to me; I wanted to grow up and get my PhD in something. The only sport I played in school was volleyball and I loved playing it,” Bell explained. “Upon graduating from high school, I immediately moved into the dormitory at California State University of Northridge (CSUN) and was excited to get away from my family and branch out on my own. I ended up being the first in my immediate family to graduate from a university.”
Following 16 years of schooling, Bell said she needed a break from education. It was a suggestion from her father that put the idea of serving in her mind.
“I'm the first and only of my family to join any branch of the military. My dad was the one that introduced me to the idea of joining the Army, but it wasn’t until after I graduated from CSUN that I started to seriously consider it,” she said. “I’d spent the last 16 years of my life in school and wanted a break and a change.”
Bell took the plunge and went to the closest recruiting station, having made her mind up to enlist.
“I was 22 years old when I decided to join back in April 2010. I googled the closest recruiting station and walked in and asked ‘how can I travel the world?’” Bell explained. “The process was smooth and quick. I shipped out in August 2010.”
Bell said her interaction with her recruiter is something she would later learn from, when she found herself in the same job in 2019.
“Those four months before I shipped, I didn’t have best rapport with my recruiter … now that I’m a recruiter myself, I understand why,” Bell continued. “I was a Future Soldier that was independent, responsible and ready to ship, so I can only assume that he had to devote his time to others who may have required more of his time and attention.”
“Although my personal recruiting experience wasn’t the greatest, I try to do what I can to build rapport with my recruits and set them up for success in the Army,” she added.
Bell enlisted as a motor transport operator, a job that over the next six years would take her to Airborne School at Fort Benning, with duty stations at Fort Bragg, N.C., Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and a deployment to Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012, among other assignments.
In Oct. 2019, Bell volunteered to become a recruiter and was assigned to the Phoenix Recruiting Battalion, where she has learned how to navigate such potential banana skins like the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The first six months of recruiting was challenging enough, given that I was a new recruiter essentially learning a new job,” she said. “But the last six months of this pandemic has definitely reached a new level of difficulty. Nevertheless, I am determined to do all that I can to continue to “put them in boots.”’
With the support of her husband David, and sons David III, 4, and Ezra, 3, Bell said she is excited about her future.
“I have some decisions to make in regards to what’s next for me beyond recruiting. I have a few options I’m still exploring,” Bell mused. “I love that the Army has countless options and opportunities available for me to consider. I’m excited to see what’s next.”
Bell is appreciative of the chances the Army has afforded her and eagerly attempts to assist those looking for the same opportunities she’s experienced.
“I volunteered to become a recruiter simply because I know what the Army has done for me and my family. It’s helped me become the woman I am today,” she said. “If there’s any way I can be that person to bridge the gap and help change other people’s lives for the better by introducing them to the Army, then I’m all for it.”
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2020 12:21 |
| Story ID: | 380557 |
| Location: | GOODYEAR, AZ, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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