Prior Service Recruiter Lives by Creed to Succeed

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Jose Madrigal | 210715-N-N0616-1000 PEARL HARBOR (July 15, 2021) Equipment Operator 1st Class Kevin Rambaud, a talent scout for Prior Service Site Hawaii, is featured as Recruiter in the Spotlight. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Equipment Operator 1st Class Kevin Rambaud)  

UNITED STATES

07.16.2021

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jose Madrigal 

Commander, Navy Recruiting Command

While the U.S. Navy has numerous saying, creeds, warrior ethos and oaths imbued within its ranks, job ratings and work environments, Equipment Operator 1st Class Kevin Rambaud created one of his own.
“If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan - but never the goal.”
As a Navy talent scout for Prior Service Site Hawaii, Rambaud knows first-hand that the one thing that can always be counted on, is that things will change. His creed reminds him that his job as a prior service recruiter is to make sure Sailors know all of their options, so that even if their plan has to change, their goals they want to achieve can remain the same.
Originally born in Ilocos Norte, Philippines, and migrating to Oahu, Hawaii, in 2006, Rambaud was happy to return to Hawaii to recruit active-duty Sailors into the reserves through the prior service mission.
This mission focuses on transitioning active duty Sailors directly into Reserve Component without a break in service. For Navy Recruiting Command, this means focusing recruiting assets into the fleet concentrated areas of Norfolk; San Diego; Seattle; and Jacksonville, Florida, and putting elements in Hawaii and Japan.
The purpose of the prior service recruiters, known as reserve benefits advisors, is to expose active duty Sailors to the possibilities and advantages of joining the Navy Reserve straight from active duty without a break in service.
Rambaud’s coworkers believe that he excels in his prior service recruiting duties and leaves a lasting impression with his fellow Sailors.
“EO1 is a super star in the making,” said Chief Navy Counselor Carmen Vega, department leading chief petty officer for Prior Service Command Northwest. “His eagerness and his dedication to his Sailors is beyond impressive.”
Rambaud said he does his best to absorb as much knowledge as possible to do his job at a higher level. For the Navy Reserve, there are many advantages of accessing Sailors directly from active duty without any break in service. With this seamless transition, Sailors’ qualifications, job knowledge, and medical records will not become outdated, saving time and money that would have otherwise been devoted to retraining and requalifying the person.
“One of the challenges I face is how to effectively encourage active-duty Sailors to transition over to the Reserves and how to eradicate their misconceptions about it,” said Rambaud. “In order for me to solve this problem, I make sure I get all the proper training, accurate information, tools, reliable guidance and resources for me to deliver the benefits Sailors can use to further their naval careers through the Reserves.”
Using the skills learned through the Navy has led Rambaud to thoroughly enjoy his time in the service and excel in his job as a recruiter. He said he loves the opportunity of exploring new challenges and helping his fellow Sailors succeed.
“EO1’s charisma is contagious,” said Vega. “Many of his second class coworkers are following his footsteps. His career is escalating so quickly. He continues to mentor all second-classes to follow his footsteps.”
His passion and work ethic has led to numerous awards, to include: Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Recruiter of the Month, 2nd Quarter, 2020, Recruiter of the Quarter, and the biggest reward being meritoriously advanced to Petty Officer 1st Class.
“I have been fortunate that I’m able to share my knowledge and hands on experience about the reserves which has led me to meet and exceed the number of transitioning active duty Sailors to the Reserve component,” said Rambaud.
Rambaud has aspirations to become a Navy Counselor in the near future and a long-term vision of retiring as a hometown recruiter on the island. Rambaud said he believes if he sticks by his motto, then he is well on his way to achieving that goal.
NRC consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 26 NTAGs, and 64 TAOCs that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations around the world. Their mission 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: 07.16.2021
• Date Posted: 07.16.2021 14:01
• Story ID: 401080
• Location: US