News from the Recruiting & Retention Battalion:
Recruiter of the Year
Staff Sergeant Austin Churchill was named the
2013 Maine Recruiting & Retention NCO of the
Year. Staff Sergeant Churchill was voluntarily
reassigned from a recruiting area in Southern Maine
to Northern Aroostook County at the beginning of
fiscal year 2013. He quickly established himself in
his assigned high schools and communities.
More Reasons to Stay Guard...
For those who qualify for contract extension, the Extend to
Defend Program is a great reward opportunity. This retention
program is only the most recent way the Maine Army National
Guard supports its troops and encourages soldiers to continue
to reach their potential. Unit leaders or recruiters are available
to answer questions about qualifications. In addition to financial
incentives, those who extend for three or six years also receive
commemorative mementoes for themselves and their significant
other (if married).
Extend to Defend Memento Packages are presented to extending
soldiers at Drill Weekends after the necessary paperwork has
been completed. Recently, packages have even been shipped
off to extending, deployed Maine soldiers in Afghanistan with
the 133rd Engineer Battalion. The backpacks, t-shirts and other
mementoes are making their way across land and sea, to thank
soldiers for re-committing to their dual mission of Community
and Country service.
With Churchill’s support, the High School ASVAB
program in Northern Maine enjoyed great success,
despite funding cuts. Churchill was instrumental
in establishing a store-front recruiting office in
Presque Isle, and this new location vastly improved
the visibility of the Maine Army National Guard in
Aroostook County. Churchill achieved a dominant
market share, as he enlisted 42% of those joining
all branches of the military from his assigned
area. He achieved 191% of his assigned recruiting
mission for fiscal year 2013 and shipped 91% to
IADT.
This honor is given to the RRNCO with the greatest
overall contribution to the State’s recruiting and
retention mission. Churchill’s support of the Recruit
Sustainment Program contributed to the State
of Maine’s high ranking in the national metrics.
Churchill’s outstanding performance and dedication
to duty contributed greatly to the State of Maine’s
success in meeting its end-strength goal.