Photo By Spc. Charles Leitner | A student from St John’s Northwestern Academy holds bagpipes during the St....... read more read more
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CHICAGO – With the Chicago River dyed a sharp green, Soldiers assigned to the 1st Infantry Division touched down in the Chicago metropolitan area to support recruitment efforts throughout the region on Mar. 11, 2023.
Soldiers engaged with high school students throughout the week. They spoke with students at career fairs at Lake View High School and DePaul College Prep in Chicago. In nearby Indiana, they played sports with students at Hobart High School and engaged with students enrolled in the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at Portage High School.
Students spoke with Soldiers and discussed their personal experiences, fielded questions about Army life and offered advice to students who were interested in serving.
“We’re out here to support the Meet Your Army initiative and assist recruiters with their mission while also being able to establish connections with the military and civilian populations in the area,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Austin Lee Burtch, a career counselor assigned to the 601st Aviation Support Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Inf. Div. “Specifically, to share my experience in the military with those young adults that are about to finish their education and hopefully make the decision to really jump start their futures.”
Additionally, Soldiers of the 1st Inf. Div. Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard marched in Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, visited the White Sox Baseball Stadium, toured the 1st Division Museum in Wheaton, Illinois, and attended a Blackhawks v. Bruins hockey game.
“I was really surprised by the overall support we received from the local community,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Corey Morgan, a career counselor assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Inf. Div., who was recognized at the hockey game alongside U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Jose M. Garcia, a medical logistics officer assigned to the 801st Combat Support Hospital, Fort Sheridan, Illinois. “It was a great experience. You could feel the crowd’s support in the air.”
The Big Red One sent a group of noncommissioned officers to highlight their essential role in the U.S. military as the unit continues supporting recruitment efforts in the region.
“My first and foremost job as a noncommissioned officer is to be a leader for soldiers,” said Burtch. “So that as I help Soldiers rise to take my spot, they are more prepared and more adept to overcome situations than when I came up as a staff sergeant.”
| Date Taken: | 03.21.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.29.2023 17:30 |
| Story ID: | 440880 |
| Location: | CHICAGO, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldiers of the Big Red One Continue to Support Regional Recruitment Efforts, by SPC Charles Leitner, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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