Sign me up!
The point of entry into any organization is a vital, and oftentimes decisive, juncture for the entrant or consumer. If your connection or representative at that point in time is incapable of reassuring you that you are in good hands then the deal may go sour quickly. When my husband started eying the possibility of going into the Army at the age of 40, he did a lot of homework. He researched the Army thoroughly.
He read up on the requirements (both physical and educational/ professional), as well as the structure of the Army, and he did not stop until he had a pretty clear picture in his mind of exactly what he would be doing and what would be expected of him. He is a responsible consumer. This led him to a responsible representative of the US Army — our local Recruiting Station and the Station Commander.
While Bryan was researching all of this information he also began to get up at 4 am every morning to do all of the Army physical fitness exercises and tests. He wanted to make sure he was still in good enough shape to make the cut. Well, here we are just a couple of weeks away from BCT graduation and the guys around him call him “Father Time” and the “Strong Old Guy!” He has never fallen out of a road march and they have never seen his face at sick bay! This is one of the many reasons I call him the “Incredible Mr. Hooah!” His research, training and patience paid off for him, and for our whole family. His recruiter was there through the whole process of preparation, gateway requirements, and finally the day he shipped off to Ft. Benning. It was a joint effort, and it always should be. I have a very hard time feeling sorry for anyone who would sign a contract and enter into an agreement without being an active learner about what exactly it is they are agreeing to.
Entering BCT with the hopes and dreams of being OCS bound was a huge realization for my husband. I am extremely proud of him, and I can say with all sincerity that I do not regret or rue his decision in the least. To be perfectly honest though, it has been difficult at times trying to phase my life from civilian to military while being very far away from an Army base, and having my two Army links at Ft. Benning and in Iraq. It has been difficult and trying at times, but thanks to the help of a very hard working recruiter my transition woes have been greatly diminished, and I feel as if I have my own little safety-net under me, should I need it.
The recruiter who worked with my husband has been an incredible resource for our family. He is knowledgeable, resourceful, and willing to help. I have had to call on him more than once, and when I found myself at a dead end while dealing with a DEERS issue his help was invaluable! The issue was serious as it involved my son who is college aged. He is a dependent, and he has a chronic medical condition. He has to have his medication, and my civilian insurance expired 2 days before he was allowed to get his next refill. He had been left out of DEERS due to an oversight — it really was not any body’s fault. It was simply a matter of missing paperwork. It happens. I would not have been panicked if it had been me, but my son needs his medications and I did not have the time to come up with alternate ways of getting them. Our recruiter took a few phone calls from me during that time, and helped me figure out who I needed to talk to and what I needed in my hands to make it all work out. It was taken care of quickly, smoothly and my son had what he needed when he needed it. I never felt as if I was imposing. The recruiter was very patient and reassured me that he was there to help our family when we needed the help.
There have been a couple of other times I needed information. I always search on the web, visit Army sites, and ask other wives on a couple of message boards first. Usually I can find the answers I need through those venues. There is a wealth of information out there for Army families on virtually any topic you can imagine. There are a few instances, however, when you simply need to talk to a human being who can give you an answer that is straightforward and relevant to your location and circumstances. Again, our recruiter and our recruiting station in town has been there for me during such instances.
I have read and heard some very negative things about recruiters from anti-military groups and in the media at times. Are there bad recruiters? Yes. Of course. The military has a cross-section representation from the whole of society. Sometimes people are able to get through the motions of the training without fully embracing the Army core values. It saddens me to think, however, that so many good recruiters who are honest, forthright, conscientious, and dedicated are marked by the few that have done some stupid things. Our recruiter is a good example of what a good one can and will do for a recruit and his/her family. He did not promise us the moon. He did not hide the difficulties we would face. He shared facts, figures, and anecdotal evidence that prepared us for this journey.
He did not persuade us through false information, nor did he persuade us with promises he could not keep. He simply persuaded us with the truth and with his support. A good recruiter is an awesome resource for a family. He is one of your first glimpses into the Army, and I will have to say that my expectations are very high after dealing with SFC. H. Hooah!
