Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Stafford | 220215-N-WP-400-006 Jacksonville, Fla. (February 15, 2022) Navy Counselor (Recruiter)...... read more read more
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Story by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sean Stafford, Navy Talent Acqusition Group Jacksonville, Public Affairs Office
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Navy Counselor 1st Class Emma Tinch’s Navy journey began just over 12 years ago. She left college after her first year of study, because she was a new direction in life. At 19 years old, she moved in with her grandparents and worked at a local gas station in Peckville, Pennsylvania, making about 120 dollars a week. She knew she wanted more out of life, and she soon found it in a U.S. Navy recruiter’s office.
After graduating boot camp, Tinch’s first duty station was with the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. There she fell in love, got married and had her first child.
“I began to grow a real sense of camaraderie between everyone I worked with. Those friends eventually became the aunts and uncles of my children today,” Tinch said.
After her first child, she transferred to Fleet Reediness Mid-Atlantic in Norfolk, Virginia, and then to Carrier Air Wing 8 to finish her sea time. She would then deploy on the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CNV 77). As she transferred from station-to-station she earned her way up the ranks to petty officer second class. Tinch said she had worked hard on her journey and was ready for the next challenge.
“After that tour, I wanted to do something career-enhancing,” said Tinch. “I knew I wanted some stability in my life and wanted to give back to the Navy and kids that grew up like me; not having a lot.”
As a new recruiter, Tinch was full of energy and enthusiasm; she completed all of her qualifications and constantly made mission requirements during her first year with Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Jacksonville. During her second year, Tinch became an assistant leading petty officer (LPO) and began working on her leading petty officer qualification when she became pregnant with her third child.
“During my second year here, I was pregnant with my third son while I was working on my LPO qualification, ” said Tinch. “After receiving my LPO qualification, I was selected to be put in charge of Navy Recruiting Station Cocoa Beach. It was exactly what I was looking for as a recruiter leading my own office.”
Tinch did so well running a station that the command meritoriously advanced her to petty officer first class. That is when she realized this was her calling and converted her job rating to Navy Counselor. She then became LPO at Navy Recruiting Station (NRS) St. Augustine and held the title of assistant division leading petty officer for Division Two at NTAG Jacksonville.
“Some of my favorite memories from that time were all the awards our division earned,” Tinch said. “We had a Sailor earn Junior Sailor of the Year; another earned Assessor of the Year; and our station earned Small Station of the Year. Those were huge accomplishments, and it was great to see all the success my Sailors were having.”
Her drive to help others and ability to get the job done were acknowledged and rewarded by being selected as NTAG Jacksonville Sailor of the Year (SOY) for 2021.
“Being selected is something that is hard for me to describe,” Tinch said. “I didn’t set out to become Sailor of the Year. I just focused on my job and worked hard, and all that hard work payed off. I’m super humbled by it, having gone up against so many other great Sailors here at NTAG Jacksonville.”
Tinch would go on to earn Navy Recruiting Region East Sailor of the Year. She will next go up against Navy Recruiting Region West’s Sailor of the Year for Commander, Navy Installation Command SOY.
“For me, the most rewarding part of my time here has been watching everyone’s hard work come to fruition – and not just with the Sailors that work for you but also with your applicants that become future Sailors,” said Tinch. “Helping them through Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and mentoring them before they leave for boot camp [is rewarding.] I love getting texts or messages from my future Sailors that have either made it to ‘A’ [their training] school, or their first command, or seeing them in uniform and how well they are doing out in the fleet.”
Tinch has found a true passion for recruiting, but she understands that is not for everyone. It is a demanding profession that is suited for the disciplined and those dedicated to finding the best and brightest Sailors of the future.
“My advice to anyone looking to convert to a career recruiter would be, you have to be a good problem solver,” said Tinch. “Every day will bring something different, whether it’s dealing with recruiter challenges or applicant issues. This job will keep you on your toes, and you have to be able to find the answer no matter what.”
Currently, Tinch is working as a command trainer at the NTAG Jacksonville training department. As a command trainer, she runs production inspection to ensure that all of the NRSs are running at optimal level and looking for the best and brightest to join the Navy. She also provides training to new recruiters and helps them learn the ropes by passing on her knowledge.
“The training shop is definitely part of the backbone of the command in my opinion,” said Tinch. “If recruiters don’t have the training to do their jobs, that is where we come in.”
Tinch said she believes she has accomplished everything that she could while at NTAG Jacksonville. Her hope is that with the short amount of time she has left before transferring to NTAG Pittsburgh, she can still be an asset to the team she supports on a daily basis.
Tinch said she hopes to help contribute at her next command and eventually become a departmental lead chief petty officer.
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.
| Date Taken: | 02.24.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2022 15:27 |
| Story ID: | 415247 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 379 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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