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    Sailor Becomes Navy Recruiter to Mend the Past

    Recruiter in the Spotlight - NTAG Portland

    Photo By Elijah Leinaar | PORTLAND, Ore. (May 22, 2021) – Hull Technician 1st Class Gavin Takata, assigned to...... read more read more

    PORTLAND, OR, UNITED STATES

    06.04.2021

    Story by Daniel Rachal 

    Commander, Navy Recruiting Command

    Sailor Becomes Navy Recruiter to Mend the Past
    Story by Dan Rachal, Navy Talent Acquisition Group Portland Public Affairs Office

    PORTLAND, Ore. – (May 27) Hull Technician 1st Class Gavin Takata would not have a successful Navy career without his grandfather – a World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veteran. After dropping out of college and moving in with his grandparents, Takata did not have much direction or ambition, which did not go unnoticed. His grandfather told him that it was time for a change.

    “To have my grandfather say that to me was a huge kick,” said Takata. “I had to sit back and evaluate my life.”

    Takata had a list of potential career options that could help get things on track, and joining the military was at the top of that list. Luckily for him, the desire to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps outweighed his experience with his recruiter.

    “I forgot his name, but he was horrible,” he said. “He didn’t have any enthusiasm. He didn’t have any love for the military, didn’t have any customer service and wasn’t very knowledgeable about my questions. He never told me about the Delayed Entry Program. I never knew about general orders, the Sailor’s creed, rank and recognition, so I went to boot camp knowing absolutely nothing.”

    This experience helped Takata develop into a successful recruiter because he knew firsthand what could happen to a Future Sailor if they had poor assistance during the recruiting process. From the moment he began his journey at Navy Talent Acquisition Group Portland, he wanted to positively impact applicants and Future Sailors.

    “I strive to have the best customer service,” said Takata. “That’s why I build a rapport with my future Sailors. I put everything into trying to make them successful and giving them the best opportunities to succeed out of boot camp.”

    That dedication has been rewarded since arriving in 2019 to NTAG Portland. He was promoted to Leading Petty Officer of a 16-Sailor division that encompasses four recruiting stations, has been awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for achieving recruiting based incentives, and was Talent Scout of the Month for July 2020, which led to being named Talent Scout of the Quarter for the 4th quarter in 2020, along with two gold wreaths for recruiting achievements.

    Takata takes great pride in the Sailors he puts in the Navy, and loves when they reach back out to update him on their career progress. He chose recruiting duty because it gave him the opportunity to give back to the Navy, help people and change lives. Sometimes the applicant sitting on the other side of the desk is fully qualified to serve the moment they come into the office, but other times, Takata has worked with applicants for up to a year to help them prepare to enlist. For him, it’s about being the kind of recruiter he would have wanted.

    “If they are dedicated to the process and they really want it, who am I to turn my back to them and not help them out?” he said. “I am going to do everything I can to help you out no matter what. I do it because I would want someone to do it for me. I want to be that leader. I want them to look back and say ‘my recruiter is still my mentor.’”

    Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, and 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).

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 06.04.2021
    Date Posted: 06.04.2021 11:57
    Story ID: 398161
    Location: PORTLAND, OR, US

    Web Views: 896
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN