More than just recruiters: talking with the public face of the NMNG

Story by Sgt. William Atkinson, 200th Public Affairs Detachment

ROSWELL, N.M. – The modest, air-conditioned recruiting office here has seen more than its share of personalities and stories roll through it. For Sgt. 1st Class Rick Navarrette, a senior recruiter in his 18th year of service with the National Guard, it is more than just another day at the office: It is a day to be more than just a recruiter.

Like many other recruiters throughout the NMNG and other branches of service, Navarrette’s steadfast determination and excitement about his job keeps the Roswell recruiting office operating at peak performance. Here, Navarrette and his team work to find well-qualified future Soldiers to fill the variety of positions available in the NMNG.

These include not only combat-related positions such as infantry and military police, but also support and highly technical positions for current or future mechanics, administrative specialists, logisticians, and construction engineers.

“The recruiting environment is continually changing, especially with generation gaps,” said Navarrette. “No day is the same, and that’s what makes it fun to come to work.”

The Roswell-based recruiting team lead by Navarrette has been at the forefront of reacting to that change, especially when dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet the social distancing and other limitations of this new environment have not stopped Navarrette and his team from achieving their goals using remote technology, innovation, and old-fashioned determination and hard work.

“In recruiting every day is different, every applicant is different, what they want to do is different,” stated Navarrette, “but that doesn’t stop our progress.”

Navarrette became a recruiter shortly after the end of a long-term National Guard mobilization, based in part on the positive influence of the Soldiers who had recruited him, as well as his desire to continue in active service.

“I spoke to my old recruiter…and looked into becoming a recruiter so I could help people take that first step,” said Navarette. “I want to help people address the concerns they have joining the military by coming up with a plan to help them create long term goals for their future, almost like a career counselor than a recruiter.”

Recruiting can entail long and irregular hours, and recruiters frequently work nights, weekends, and holidays for the opportunity to speak with future Soldiers when they are available.

When asked if his family was supportive of his decision to become a recruiter, Navarrette said, “my family and friends were very supportive, and recruiting has provided a level of stability that allows me to enjoy family as well as serve.”

People come first in recruiting. Navarrette prioritizes relationship building in his approach, maintaining a positive attitude while he learns about the unique concerns and desires expressed by each person who enters his office.

“As a recruiter, you’re creating relationships, and it doesn’t matter what kind of day you’ve had—you can’t have a negative attitude when you meet new people,” said Navarrette. “You learn to leave outside issues out of the office and it teaches you to keep a smile on your face no matter what.”

“To any future recruiters,” Navarrette said, “the Army and especially recruiting is a team effort. Most people think that recruiting means working alone since you have an individual goal and mission, but you can draw on people to help, even members of a local unit, your office partners, and always remember it’s ‘one team, one fight,’ even in recruiting. If you work with others, you will come out on top.”