Recruiting in Fayetteville, NC requires a plan

Story by Shahron L. James
Raleigh Recruiting Battalion
Public Affairs Specialist

Recruiting in Fayetteville, N.C. may not be as easy as you think. 

      Fayetteville, NC houses one of the Army’s largest military post and has approximately 52,000 Soldiers stationed there.  It is a major hub of Army operation and deployment. However, there is an additional operation that happens in Fayetteville, N.C.…recruiting.  

      I had a chance to speak with the command team, Cpt. Markinna Baskin and 1st Sgt. Ben Dojaquez, about the opportunity to recruit in Fayetteville.  
  

      “It is definitely unique”, said Cpt. Baskin 

      Despite being in a high potential area, the Fayetteville Recruiting Company (3J1) does not attribute all of their success to being close to Ft. Bragg. 

      “We definitely commend our NCOs for being dedicated to the mission”, said the command team. "We have a solid plan that we don’t deviate from, the NCOs take that plan and run with it.” 

      When asked how easy it was to get qualified applicants the leaders stated that it is not as easy as some people think. They insist that the NCOs are more resourceful and are the foundation of their success, not Ft. Bragg.    

      “It is not like it used to be in the old days.  People are not lined up outside the stations beating on the door to get in the Army”, said 1^st Sgt. Dojaquez. 

     
      “It boils down to work ethic”, said Cpt. Baskin. “The recruiters are out till 1900 every week day, and our doors are open most Saturdays to the public; our team does a great job at holding one another accountable. This team has a winning spirit and have truly been the difference makers.”

       The command team appears confident in their plan stating that their mission as leaders is to assist their recruiters to be better NCOs and to execute at a high level of performance. They attribute a lot of their success to the NCOs under their command. 

      “We let them know they are NCOs first and recruiters second - good NCOs make good recruiters”, said 1^st Sgt. Dojaquez 

     

      “We make sure to take care of them. We help our recruiters with career progression. Outside of production, we are working with our chain of command to provide other opportunities for career progression such as specialized schools.  We ensure they are getting adequate time to take care of their personnel affairs and providing the right type of support to make them successful at their duty”, he said.

 
      “We ensure that the recruiters remember to make themselves better and to ensure they have a career after recruiting.”

      The command team said the NCOs make recruiting happen in Fayetteville.  
    
      “We don’t disagree that being near Ft. Bragg has its advantages, but without our team work and hard charging efforts to build relationships,to be in the schools, and to supporting each other we would not have been able to continue our success. It is truly a team effort.”

"We find ways to overcome.  We are a proactive team. This is why we win."