Photo By Nava Kiss | Yeoman 2nd Class Arionne Watts of NTAG Nashville, NRS Knoxville, is presented with the...... read more read more
The Navy Recruiting Orientation Unit (NORU) welcomed four Master Chief Bakarian Memorial Award winners, as well as commander, Navy Recruiting Command Rear Adm. Alexis “Lex” Walker and Master Chief Navy Counselor Gerald Allchin, National Chief Recruiter, to Pensacola on June 06, 2023. This is the second time the award is being presented in 2023, with new recruiters being recognized in each quarter of the fiscal year for their outstanding production numbers.
Upon arrival, the four awardees were given the opportunity to speak with current schoolhouse students and answer questions before being presented their awards.
It's no secret that recruiting can be a stressful, arduous duty, even having been referred to as 36 one-month tours as recruiters often work long hours and weekends to meet certain goal numbers each month. With mental health as a primary focus of the Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Adm. Rick Cheeseman, and a concern for military personnel across all branches, Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Christina Duvall of Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Mid America impressed on students the importance of taking time to yourself.
“There’s going to be times when you work late. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, because you get really excited about somebody and then they fall through, but then you’ll have some unexpected people that got in. It’s stressful,” Duvall said. “At the end of the day, when you’re going home…do something to decompress. Take care of yourself as well.”
Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Madison Green of NTAG Nashville echoed her sentiment, telling students that her tip for new recruiters is to “have a good attitude every day. Recruiting is hard…it is stressful. But every single month is a new month.”
Recruiters and applicants alike recognize that there are many important discussions that must take place before shipping off to boot camp, and recruiters must be prepared to answer difficult questions about topics from financials to family to further education. In regard to these types of questions, Yeoman 2nd Class Arionne Watts of NTAG Nashville stresses that “Honesty is huge. Honesty with [the students], honesty with their counselors, honesty with their parents. Honesty is the best policy, I don’t lie to them at all. Even the ugly parts of the Navy, I tell them about.”
The question-and-answer session was followed by an all-hands call with Adm. Walker and Master Chief Allchin, during which topics such as Military Health System Genesis, incentives for recruiter production, and the future of prior service recruiting were discussed.
Walker implored students at the schoolhouse to remember why their duty is so important. “If we are not successful at our job, everything that the Navy tries to do from a warfighting effectiveness standpoint falls apart. If we cannot adequately man our ships, our submarines, our aircraft squadrons, and our SEAL teams, we can’t fight the way we want to fight. And that all starts with us.”
The visit concluded with the frocking of six junior enlisted sailors currently stationed at the schoolhouse.
The complete list of Fiscal Year 2023, 2nd Quarter recipients is as follows:
Master Chief Bakarian Award Winners
ENRO 22-060-1 = YN2 Joseph Scaturro, NTAG Pittsburgh, NRS Scranton
ENRO 22-060-2 = AO2 Madison Greene, NTAG Nashville, NRS Chattanooga
ENRO 22-070-1 = ABE2 Shirley Asare, NTAG Atlanta, NRS Stone Mountain
ENRO 22-070-2 = RS1 Kvon Taylor, NTAG New England, NRS Springfield
ENRO 22-080-1 = GM2 Benymes Santosgonzales, NTAG Miami, NRS Ponce
ENRO 22-090-1 = YN2 Arionne Watts, NTAG Nashville, NRS Knoxville
ENRO 22-100-1 = GM1 Sean Dahlman, NTAG Pacific, NRS Maui
ENRO 22-100-2 = FC2 Denny Vilay, NTAG Houston, NRS Baybrook
ENRO 22-110-1 = ABHCS Christina Duvall, NTAG Mid-America, NRS Bloomington
Officer Recruiter Distinguished Graduate Winners
OR 22-020-1 = LT Stephanie Fultano, NTAG Philadelphia
OR 22-030-1 = HMC Frank Tejada, NTAG Richmond
The Navy Recruiting Orientation Unit is the Navy's sole recruiting schoolhouse, providing technical and professional training to Enlisted and Officer personnel from every community that will help them succeed in today's challenging recruiting environment.
| Date Taken: | 06.06.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.06.2023 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 446373 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 228 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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