1. Volume 1, Issue 3 1st Recruiting Brigade
Victory Newsletter
31 October 2011
Commander Sends
Mission Success On the Army Reserve side, the brigade finished at 98
Col. Ricky N. Emerson percent. However, as the brigade carries the largest
Army Reserve mission in USAREC, we wrote the
Team— most reserve contracts of all brigades, achieving an
I want to take the opportunity to additional 1600 contracts more than in FY 2010. Of
Fairness, diligence,
congratulate each battalion, com- note was the improvement in precision marks, spe-
sound preparation,
pany, station, Recruiter and Civil- cifically improved senior production and a USAR grad
professional skill and
loyalty are the marks ian for their contribution to the command's FY11 -senior Alpha production increase of more than 600
of American mission success. Per feedback from commanding contracts.
leadership. general, Maj. Gen. Mann, the command will
—Gen. Omar Bradley achieve both the Regular Army and Army Re- These results are due to your outstanding teamwork,
serve missions. focus on priorities and the positive image you exem-
plify within your respective communities. I am confi-
In this issue: 1st Recruiting Brigade was a critical part of the dent that we can use the current momentum towards
command's success. The Brigade achieved the an even more successful FY12. Thanks for every-
Regular Army mission at 113 percent and closed thing you do for our Army. Proud to be a part of the
Commander Sends 1
out the annual Regular Army in Phase Line Au- team.
gust.
CSM Says 1
DCO Corner 2
Chaplain 2
CSM Says
Legal 3
Living the Army Values
MRTT 3 Command Sgt. Maj. Gregory O. Craig HONOR – Live up to the Army Values, starting
with being honest with oneself and being truthful
Station Commander 4
Team— and sincere in all our actions.
Insight
Recently, we were working on a
DoD News 4
brigade project and the importance INTEGRITY – Firmly adhere to a code of moral
of the Army Values were discussed. and ethical principles.
Purpose Every Soldier and Civilian should strive to embody
these Values on a daily basis. I PERSONAL COURAGE – Face fear, danger or
The Victory Brigade is an adaptive adversity, moral or physical.
organization, exemplifying Army
Values and excellence in recruiting
It’s easy to talk about the Army Values but we
operations, while simultaneously should remember it is not simply a phrase… the Remember that you are always a leader to some-
providing for the wellness of its Values are who we are and a lifestyle, not only in one – there is
Soldiers, Civilians and Families.
The intent of this newsletter is to the Army but they should define how we carry our- always a person
create a continuous message be- selves in society. there looking up
tween the 1st Recruiting Brigade
and battalions on pertinent items
to you. Adhere to
and issues. LOYALTY – Bear true faith and allegiance to the these values and
U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit and other strive to become
Questions or concerns? Please
Soldiers. a better person
email 1bde-apa@usaac.army.mil
every day.
DUTY – Fulfill your obligations.
RESPECT – Treat people as they should be treated
with consideration and honor.
SELFLESS SERVICE – Put the welfare of the Na-
tion, the Army and your subordinates before your
own.

2. Victory Newsletter
Page 2
DCO Corner
Listen Before You Lead Surprising the college coaches, Lombardi not only listened in-
Col. Kenneth Sullivan tently, he agreed with his quarterback and made the change. The
lesson for the college coaches was that not only did Lombardi
If you do not like people, you will not take time to listen, he was also receptive to new ideas. This is a lesson for us
get to know them, and if you don’t get to know all-none of us have all the answers. And imagine the self-worth
them, you will have no idea what scares them, that Bart Starr took away from this-powerful when you need all to
what inspires them and what motivates them. If perform at peak efficiency.
you do not listen to what your people have to say, you will not
know if they have problems with you, or you with them, or prob- Write this down: You cannot lead if you cannot listen.
lems in their lives.
Even if you are doing everything else right, if one of your people
Great ideas come from all parts of your organization. However, if comes to you with a good idea-or a personal problem-and it just
you are the type of leader where it is ―your way or the highway‖, goes in one ear and out the other, YOU WILL FAIL.
you will stifle creativity. The great football coach, Vince Lombardi
of the Green Bay Packers, had a rough, tough persona. From the If you do not listen to the person you are talking with, you send a
outside looking in, it is conceivable that he was dictatorial in his clear message that you do not need that person. You cannot fool
leadership style. your people, they will see right through you. I don’t care how
tough your people are-and there are not many people tougher
During an event where a few big time college coaches were pre- than Soldiers-they need to know you care and you need to show
sent, Bart Starr, the quarterback of the Packers, came to them that you do.
Lombardi and said that he had a better idea on how to run a cer-
tain play. The expectation from the college coaches was that Your Soldiers and civilians are combat multipliers. Use them,
Lombardi was not going to tolerate this perceived challenge to his encourage them and lead from the front.
leadership.
Chaplain
Discomfort Train to put the electronics down at home. Try it for one hour?
Be with family. If they aren't around, make an appointment. You
What are you like when all comforts are stripped away? Some of know how to do that? I take away electronics from my son until I
us never know because we have never been without comforts. see a grade raised.
What is your bottom line in discomfort?
How do you show you care?
What is it that you will never tolerate going without? What MUST
you have? Is it a cigarette? Or a beer? Or a soda pop? Is it your
career or pursuit of a title or pay grade? Maybe it's a iPod, etc....
What if everything you owned (or maybe the bank owns) was
suddenly taken away… all electronics, your car, whatever is pre-
cious.
We take possessions for granted. The possessions even steal us
of the family. We can take family for granted. If you lost family,
would you notice? If you lost your electronics would you notice?
Which would you notice first?
Our family is hugely important. How are they doing? Can you
count the A's and B's on your son or daughter's report card?
Physical stuff can rob us of the important. The
balance is even harder to keep when the job demands time and
the latest equipment.

3. Victory Newsletter
Page 3
Legal
Should I purchase a service contract? contracts do not cover repairs resulting from misuse or failure to
maintain the product properly. Also, you may be obligated to take
When purchasing a car, major appliance, or audio/video enter- certain action, such as notifying the company of problems, to
tainment component, you are almost always afforded an opportu- insure that the service contract is not voided.
nity to buy a companion service contract. About half of all new
car buyers, and many used car and major appliance buyers, buy Where can you get service? If the service contract is offered by
service contracts. However, some consumers may be paying for a local retailer or dealer, you may be able to get only local ser-
more protection than they need. Consider the following tip: vice. Consider the possibility that problems may develop while
you are traveling or after you move away from the area. This is
What does the service contract offer? A service contract, like especially critical for military personnel and their families. Gener-
a warranty, provides repair and/or maintenance for a specific ally, few service contracts provide for assistance when products
time period. Warranties, however, are included in the price of the are moved to overseas locations. Service contracts on domestic
product, while service contracts cost extra and are sold sepa- cars, for instance, may be useless if owners take them overseas.
rately.
Who is responsible for the contract? The Federal Trade Com-
What will the service contract give you that the warranty will mission often receives letters from consumers who ask what they
not? Before purchasing a service contract, make sure you know can do about a service contract company that has gone out of
the extent of your warranty coverage. Carefully compare the war- business and cannot repay claims. Unfortunately, there is little
ranty coverage with the coverage offered by the service contract recourse available to these consumers. The best way to avoid
to decide if the service contract is worth the additional expense. this situation is to make sure, before you sign a contract, that the
company is reputable and has insurance.
For what costs may you remain liable even if you purchase a
service contract? You may have other expenses after you buy a Can you purchase a service contract after you buy the prod-
service contract. Service contracts, like insurance policies, often uct? You may be better able to decide if you need a service con-
have deductible amounts. Or, you may be charged each time the tract after you have owned the product for some time. Consider
item is serviced. Some expenses are limited or excluded. For waiting until your warranty period expires to buy a service con-
example, auto service contracts may not completely cover towing tract.
or rental car expenses. In addition, you also may have to pay
cancellation or transfer fees if you sell the covered product or
wish to end the contract. If you are considering a major purchase, you may wish to discuss
the service contract with an Army legal assistance attorney. Ask
What is covered by the service contract? A service contract the dealer or store for a copy of the service contract (before sign-
may cover only certain parts of the product or specific repairs. ing) and bring it with you for your appointment.
Read the contract carefully and, if it does not list something as
specifically covered, assume that it is not. Generally, service
MRTT
“Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true yourself looking back at one, or a series, of time-consuming
it is that most people overestimate what they can activities that you regret and could have spent that time on more
accomplish in a year -- and underestimate what they can productive activities?
achieve in a decade!”
As Leaders we sometimes get ―caught up‖ in things that seem
important at the time but, in the end, really were not servicing
Looking at the above quote from Anthony Robbins, it could ap- our two basic responsibilities: Accomplishment of the Mission
pear that he said this with USAREC Leaders in mind. Mastering and the Welfare of Our Soldiers. The next time you’re wrapped
the time that is allotted to us is one of the primary keys in accom- up in a time consuming process, ask yourself if that activity ser-
plishing the Phase Line, Quarterly and Yearly recruiting mission. vices either of those two basic responsibilities.
Mastering time is accomplished by Battle Rhythm and knowing
which balls we have that are rubber and which ones are glass.
How many times in a recruiting day, week or month do you find

4. Volume 1, Issue 3
Page 4
Station Commander Insight
Be, Know, Do tinuously train, study, and adapt. For example, what would work in
By Staff Sgt. Stephanie C. Lewis a big city more than likely will not work as well in a rural community
Lawton, Okla., East Recruiting Station and vice versa. USAREC messages are continuously coming out
making changes to the way we do business and the equipment we
Leadership in Recruiting Command means character and com- use. Station com-manders must stay abreast of this information or
petence to me. Station leadership within USAREC is the epit- become stagnant and unproductive.
ome of ―Be, Know, Do.‖ It is the foundation of which our Army is
built on. This starts when an individual joins the team and con- These tasks are demanding, never ending and take serious com-
tinues when they themselves are noncommissioned officers mitment for any NCO, let alone for an NCO who is influencing, op-
responsible for Soldiers of their own, passing down these char- erating and improving a recruit-ing station. Applying the ―Be‖ and
acteristics and competencies. ―Know‖ to everyday situations is the ―Do‖ of why the station leader-
ship within USAREC is of the utmost importance. The ability to
A successful and impactful station commander requires certain identify and make the adjustments during everyday situations and
characteristics. Station commanders should be setting the ex- plans in USAREC is a personal attribute that needs to be con-
ample for everyone around them, to include but not limited to stantly tuned and refined. Understanding the changes in the market
the recruiters, applicants, Future Soldiers and community mem- and how to leverage assets to improve market share will improve
bers. For most of the United States’ population, the only con- recruiting. Training others to do the same ensures our future lead-
tact and knowledge of the Army is what they see on the televi- ers are capable to assume my role. This starts the cycle all over
sion and what they’ve seen in their local communities from the again training and setting the example for the next generation of
members of the local recruiting station. This makes us ambas- leadership.
sadors of the Army and as such the station commander needs
to take point and lead from the front to ensure the community The United States Army starts with Recruiting Command. Our sta-
members take away a positive image. tion leadership portrays who we are and what we stand for. It
shows that learning is a never-ending process that will enable us to
Understanding who your Soldiers are and how they think and adapt and overcome obstacles and changes in our envi-ronment.
operate is paramount to being able to identify personal and This is the Year of the Station Commander, the year of the job that
professional needs that would otherwise be missed. Conceptu- is the most demanding and rewarding. I am proud to be a station
al-izing the technical and tactical skills required in recruiting commander, to represent the face of the Army on a daily basis to
com-mand is the real trick. With the ever-changing environ- the communities across America.
ment, station commanders must have a commitment to con-
DoD News
DOD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for Reserve Component
Fiscal 2011 Five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their numeri-
cal accession goals for fiscal year 2011. The Army National Guard
The Department of Defense announced recruiting and retention intentionally achieved 95 percent in order to stay within its congres-
statistics for the active and reserve components for fiscal year sionally authorized end strength.
2011. Army National Guard – 50,430 accessions, with a goal of
53,000
Active Component Army Reserve – 30,087 accessions, with a goal of 28,320
All four active services met or exceeded their numerical acces- Navy Reserve – 8,364 accessions, with a goal of 8,344
sion goals for fiscal year 2011. Marine Corps Reserve – 9,180 accessions, with a goal of 9,157
Army – 64,019 accessions, with a goal of 64,000 Air National Guard – 7,182 accessions, with a goal of 6,632
Navy – 33,444 accessions, with a goal of 33,400 Air Force Reserve – 9,069 accessions, with a goal of 8,831
Marine Corps – 29,773 accessions, with a goal of 29,750
Air Force – 28,518 accessions, with a goal of 28,515 Attrition
All reserve components are on target to achieve their fiscal year
Retention 2011 attrition goals. End of fiscal 2011 achievements will be pub-
The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps exceeded their fiscal 2011 lished in the November 2011 report.
retention goals in all categories. The Air Force achieved 96
percent of its careerist retention goal. For detailed contact information on specific recruiting data, visit
www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14871.