SCRANTON, Pa. (April 22, 2026) — Recruiting is more than a job, it’s finding the next generation of Sailors. Chief Navy Counselor Emma Tinch, a Recruiter assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group Pittsburgh and Division Leading Chief Petty Officer (DLCPO), received the 2025 DLCPO of the Year award from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, December 8, 2025.
Tinch joined the Navy in the Surface Professional Apprenticeship Career Track and was assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). While there, she learned about multiple career fields. After completing her tour as an undesignated seaman, she became a yeoman and was subsequently assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW 8). She then became a recruiter at NTAG Jacksonville and it was there she decided to become a career recruiter and re-rated as a navy counselor. She then transferred to NTAG Pittsburgh, was promoted to Chief Petty Officer, and became a DLCPO.
“You’re not going to find a harder working recruiter than you will in Pittsburgh because it is so challenging to get these applicants interested,” said Tinch.
She leads fourteen recruiters covering northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New York. According to Tinch, recruiting in the region can be difficult and the area lacks a large Navy presence, so recruiters must get creative to garner interest in the Navy.
“They’re going to high schools, colleges, and gyms, setting up tables and spreading awareness,” said Tinch. “In their off time they are wearing their Navy [physical training] gear. They are always talking about the Navy and getting involved with anything extracurricular in the community.”
The National DLCPO of the Year award is part of a series of awards that recognizes the nation’s top Navy recruiters for their expertise, positive impact on local communities, and upholding the highest Navy values.
Tinch believes having flexible leadership allows her to lead her team in her way, and she can be the leader needed in the moment instead of leading with a rigid standard.
“We have a great chain of command that empowers their leaders,” said Tinch. “They say this is your goal; this is our mission and trusts us to deliver on that. Not every division needs the same type of leader.”
She believes that the attitude trickles down throughout the division and this is where her strengths as a leader come into play. She believes in building her teams to be competitive with other divisions and take pride in completing the goals set before them, while ensuring recruiters personal needs are met, so each recruiter can focus on the mission at hand.
“It’s one thing to be on a ship and see your Sailors every day, but since our stations are spread so far, it’s important to keep cohesiveness and that family feeling. That’s what sets us apart from other divisions.”
Although successful in the 2025 fiscal year, she said that there was a learning curve in leading the division successfully. She had to learn to balance the long working hours required by recruiters, work-related travel, and family life, but eventually she was able to hone her leadership style.
With her transfer from NTAG Pittsburgh approaching, she hopes that the culture of success is passed down to the next DLCPO. After NTAG Pittsburgh, she will transfer to Navy Recruiting Command Region East as a command trainer and hopes to bring her leadership to other recruiters nationwide.
NTAG Pittsburgh, part of Navy Recruiting Command, recruits the next generation of Navy Sailors throughout areas in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and Maryland.