Photo By Chief Petty Officer Kathleen Gorby | 210304-N-BJ275-0001 PUERTO RICO (Mar. 4, 2021) Master-At-Arms 1st Class Wilfred Resto...... read more read more
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By Mass Communication Specialist Chief Kathleen Gorby
PUERTO RICO - Master-At-Arms 1st Class Wilfred Resto walked away from a partnership at a lucrative law firm looking for more. He wanted an opportunity to give back to his community by changing the lives of young men and women. He was able to find what he was looking for in the Navy by volunteering to activate to Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Miami as a direct recall recruiter for Navy Recruiting Station Ponce in Puerto Rico.
Resto always wanted to be a lawyer but lacking the funds for college and law school; he joined the Navy Reserve right out of high school in 2008. With his sign-on bonus, limited Reserve GI Bill, pay from drilling, and small college loans, he was able to go to college and earn his Bachelors of Science degree in Science, followed by a law degree.
“I always knew I was going to be a lawyer, but didn’t know how I was going to get there,” said Resto. “If it was not for the Navy, my road would have been much, much harder.”
While practicing law, Resto worked on everything from depositions to medical malpractice to labor laws. However, Resto said his work did not bring him the sense of fulfillment and satisfaction he thought it would. His goal was to help people, but he wasn’t feeling that connection.
“My true motivation for coming to recruiting was to help my community,” said Resto. “When I left my law firm, I took a pay cut, but it was never about the money. It was about helping my neighbors. I fully believe in what I tell my applicants and future Sailors. The Navy has helped me so much; all I want is for it to do the same for someone who needs it.”
In Puerto Rico, joining the military is usually viewed as a last resort. So when an applicant comes to Resto, he does the best he can to help them out.
“I had a future Sailor who lived on the backside of a mountain,” said Resto. “I felt the only way I could reach him was through a smoke signal. He didn’t have internet, a cell phone, or even a land line.”
Months later Resto received a call from that Sailor, who had finally acquired a cell phone, thanking Resto for helping him find his path.
Through Resto’s hard work and dedication, he was selected as NTAG Miami’s Recruiter of the Year for Fiscal Year 2020.
“I was surprised when I won,” said Resto. “I track the numbers; I’m good with numbers but didn’t think I had the same quality as other recruiters.”
Resto, who is currently applying to transition from master-at-arms to Navy career counselor so he can continue to change the lives of young men and women, said he was very grateful and humbled by the win, but he doesn’t do what he does for the awards.
“The large gold eagle looks good on a desk, but that is about it,” said Resto. “My true reward is when one of my future Sailors calls from the fleet to thank me for the opportunities I helped them find.”
NTAG Miami is composed of the best naval officers, enlisted sailors, and civilian personnel operating in a 60,000 square mile territory. NTAG South and Central Florida from Brooksville (50 miles north of Tampa), east to Vero Beach, drawing a line under Orlando and south including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each year, the command accesses approximately 2,000 young men and women into the United States Navy.
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 26 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations across the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MyNAVYHR), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).
| Date Taken: | 03.04.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.04.2021 15:29 |
| Story ID: | 390597 |
| Location: | PR |
| Web Views: | 1,572 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From Court Room Lawyer to Recruiter of the Year, by CPO Kathleen Gorby, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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