Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Samuel Osborn | Operations Specialist 2nd Class Kayla Smith from Fort Knox, Kentucky, assigned to Navy...... read more read more
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Operations Specialist 2nd Class Kayla Smith says she finds purpose in educating the next generation of Sailors and helping them reach their goals.
“I became a recruiter because I wanted to help individuals achieve their dreams,” said Smith. “I want to help teach them about the opportunities and benefits they can utilize in the Navy and recruiting was the way to do that.”
Smith, a native of Fort Knox, Kentucky, says she draws inspiration from her father’s Army service and continued the legacy by joining the military.
“My father split his G.I. Bill between my brother and me,” she said. “That motivated me to learn more about what the military could offer. The Navy helped me earn my bachelor’s degree and even encouraged me to pursue a master’s. It’s also given me plenty of opportunities to travel, whether on deployment or the money and time to travel on my own time.”
While serving at Navy Talent Acquisition Group Nashville, Smith believes in consistently pushing for excellence.
“My biggest accomplishment at NTAG Nashville was earning my Recruiter In Charge qualification as a second class,” she said. “Completing my bachelor’s degree while active duty was also huge. It was challenging, but I had strong support from my command and family.”
Smith says recruiting is more than just enlisting others – it’s about building meaningful relationships.
“Recruiting can be bittersweet,” she said. “It’s like being a proud parent sending your children off. You miss the mentorship moments you got to share with them.”
She views recruiting as a chance to make an impact, regardless of whether they decide the Navy is for them or not.
“I think recruiting is important not only to help people reach their dreams but also to educate them on their options,” she said. “Some people go their entire lives not knowing what the military or the Navy entails, getting to educate people on their options for later on down the road is really imperative. Even if they decide the military isn’t for them, I still got the opportunity to educate them on what we do, which increases our civilian support.”
NTAG Nashville spans 138,000 square miles and includes 36 Navy recruiting stations across Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Georgia. The command consists of more than 200 recruiters, support staff, and civilians working together to find the next generation of Sailors for America’s Navy.
For more information contact your local recruiter by calling 1-800-284-NAVY, visit www.navy.com, https://www.cnrc.navy.mil/Nashville/ or follow us at http://www.facebook.com/navyjobsnashvillemusiccity, www.instagram.com/ntagnashvilleusn, https://x.com/@NTAGNashville & https:// www.linkedin.com/in/ntag-nashville
| Date Taken: | 07.22.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.29.2025 12:54 |
| Story ID: | 544126 |
| Location: | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, US |
| Hometown: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 352 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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