Loyalty Loyalty in the Life of a Recruiting and Retention NCO Can Mean Many Things

Army Values of the Recruiting and Retention Non Commission Officer

As you read these Army Values, reflect on just how important we are to our Nation, our Communities, our Neighbors but most important to each other as a TEAM. If it weren’t for the National Guard there would be no United States of America. As members of the Wyoming Army National Guard, we are part of the oldest fighting force in America. When we talk about our National ideals, our National Values, or democracy . . . we are talking about the National Guard. As Recruiting and Retention Non Commission Officers, we are the first lines of the Nation’s oldest fighting force. If we don’t do our job, America as we know it will cease to exist. Keep these Values in mind as you go out and find the men and women who will defend this Nation into the 21st Century.

Loyalty – Loyalty in the life of a Recruiting and Retention NCO can mean many things. A good Recruiter/Retention NCO must be loyal to his or her team, pulling their load day after day, month after month. You must be loyal to the unit you support, doing everything you can to take care of the soldiers in your charge. You must be loyal to your state and country, never forgetting that it is up to you to find quality men and women to defend the constitution and the ideals we uphold. And last, but certainly not least, you must be loyal to your friends and loved ones, as it is often they who bear the brunt of the sacrifices that must be made to be successful in this business.

Duty – We have a duty to our Nation, State and the Army National Guard and that duty is making our mission. Don’t look at your mission as a task or a chore. Look at your mission as an honor to serve your country in the capacity of a Recruiting and Retention NCO. We are very privileged to be able to live and work among our community, offering jobs, training and Army Values to our youth. Our job matters! The Guard gives us millions of dollars worth of tuition, bonuses and training dollars to give away in our community… we just need to find who wants it. If we do our duty with heartfelt pride and a good work ethic, mission will come.

Respect – We must respect our applicants, our teammates, and the people we work with every day. High School Guidance Counselors and Principals deserve a level of respect they will not be getting from the Active Component recruiters. Let those you work with know that you are an integral part of the community and you have a vested interest in making it a better place to live. Respect that M-Day soldier you support and never forget that if it wasn’t for them, you wouldn’t have a job. Above all, respect yourself. Don’t sell yourself short or cut corners. Get up every morning and look in the mirror and know that you are one of America’s best…a soldier…a member of the Wyoming Army National Guard and a Recruiting and Retention Non Commission Officer.

Selfless Service – Selfless Service means to put the needs of the applicant, the Guard and the Nation above your own. We must work tirelessly to ensure that each person we enlist gets everything they were promised. We must work hard to make sure our God and State are at a level of readiness that makes them effective in the fight. We must work hard to see that our mission is accomplished.

Honor – Honor is one of the most important values a Recruiting and Retention Non Commission Officer posses. Never forget you are an ambassador for the Wyoming Army National Guard. Everything you say or do reflects not only upon yourself, but also upon your TEAM, your Region and your State. Remember yesterday, today and tomorrow, of the soldiers who did and will die in the line of duty. We owe these Guardsmen a debt of Honor. It is our responsibility to represent them in a way that would make them proud.

Integrity – Integrity is an important part of our job as Recruiting and Retention Non Commission Officers. Sometimes in this business we find ourselves in a position where the easiest thing to do would be to lie, or misrepresent ourselves to our Applicants, our MEPS Guidance Counselors, or our NCOICs. It is never worth it in the long run. Our integrity is the best tool we have to fight the competition. It is always better to be truthful than break the trust of others. Trust is hard to recover once lost. As Non Commission Officers, we have pledged that Integrity is who we are. Lets live up to that pledge.

Personal Courage – Courage doesn’t just mean your ability to face fear in combat, or your willingness to shuffle up to the door of a C-130 and throw your knees to the breeze. Courage in this business takes many forms. We have to get up day after day and face the streets, rejection and mission . . . sometimes against daunting odds. The biggest reason for turnover in the Recruiting and Retention Non Commission Officer force is that we sometimes lack the courage to continue in the face of adversity. Reach deep down inside yourself when things are tough and you’ve just lost that third applicant this month at MEPs. Look around you at those RRNCOs who wear the Master Recruiting Badge. That badge is a symbol of courage just as much as a set of Jump Wings. The wearer has shown they have what it takes to keep going for months on end. Learn from them and stay strong.

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