2. The Navy Recruiting Organization 50 States, Europe, and Asia Recruiting stations also in Guam, Japan, Puerto Rico, London, Germany, and Italy.
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9. Knowing Our Battlefield Navy’s Public Image Challenging Youth Propensity DEC 2008 JUN 2009 13% 16% 16% 12% 15% 16% Public opinion poll: Which military branch is most prestigious ? Source: DoD Youth Poll (June 2009) Source: Galllup Panal Military Perceptions Study (Dec 2008) 49% 30% 10% 9% USMC USAF USA USN General Propensity African-American Hispanic
10. New Navy Brand Tagline Click inside the box to view the video, “The Calling”
Two hundred and thirty-four years ago, the Continental Congress created our Navy to defend the principles and the values that this nation stands for ... Since the inception of the all-volunteer force in 1973, Navy Recruiting Command has continued to support what the Congress created and envisioned and to ensure the Navy continues to flourish by delivering the right Sailors to the Fleet at the right time. Navy recruiters continuously seek out the best and the brightest young men and women who possess a fresh blend of highly technical, innovative and futuristic skills and abilities, vitally important as our Navy continues to support U. S. global interests in more innovative and imaginative ways. The truth is, recruiting young men and women for enlisted, officer candidate, and officer status in the active and reserve components of the Navy continues to be a challenge. Why is recruiting a challenge, and what can you do to help? I would like to spend the next 15 minutes or so answering these two questions. (Next slide).
But first, let me tell you a little about Navy Recruiting Command (NRC). Headquartered in Millington, Tennessee, NRC is located just north of Memphis on board Naval Support Activity Mid-South. Nationwide, Navy Recruiting covers the entire United States with twenty-six (26) Navy Recruiting Districts (NRDs) commanded by two (2) Navy Recruiting Regions. Today, nearly 7,200 active and reserve military, civilian and contract employees make up the command. Of those, more than 6,350 active and reserve officer and enlisted Sailors man 1,474 recruiting stations and centers throughout the U. S., Guam, Japan, Puerto Rico and Europe. You can see how widely dispersed Navy recruiting really is across the United States, and for most areas of the country, Navy recruiters are the only visible face of the Navy. An average breakdown of the onboard recruiting force is shown in the next slide.
The number of active and reserve enlisted and officer production recruiters currently totals 5,093. This is the average daily number of field production recruiters throughout the U. S., Guam, Puerto Rico and Europe. Working out of their individual Navy Recruiting Station (NRS or NORS), these recruiters call on approximately 25,782 public and 6,177 private high schools nationwide. Additionally, they access 2,751 two-year colleges and 2,496 four-year colleges. One hundred fifty-four NROTC units are located on U. S. college campuses. (Next slide).
Navy Recruiting ’ s main objectives: First, increase the quality of the total force by aggressively seeking qualified Sailors in 71 total ratings in the active and reserve, with emphasis being placed on specific areas: Officer and Enlisted diversity, Medical Officers, Chaplains, SEALs, Navy Special Warfare, Navy Special Operations, Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Diver, Hospital Corpsmen, Reserves, Women in Non-traditional Ratings (Master-at-Arms and Seabees). Second, in order to smooth the flow of recruits into boot camp, NRC maintains a healthy pool of young men and women in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP). Management and mentorship of the applicants in DEP is critical. Third, NRC continues to provide needed support to our great nation and Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) demands by meeting the mission requirements for the other ratings that support NSW/NSO missions. (Next slide).
While the Department of Defense standards for High School Diploma Graduates (HSDG) is 90%, Navy’s is 95%. For the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) DoD wants 60% of recruits to be in the top half of scores, but Navy’s goal is 70%, reflecting our need for highly capable Sailors. NRC has adjusted these standards to improve the quality of its future recruits. Simply stated, NRC standards are tougher and higher than DoD’s. The Navy wants the best and brightest. (Next slide).
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 the NRC Active Component (AC) mission accession number is set at 36,200 enlisted and 2,498 officer; the Reserve Component (RC) goals are 7,388 enlisted and 1,600 officer for a Total Force goal of 47,686. Regardless of whether the economy is doing well or not, the Navy and each of us in recruiting continue to recruit highly motivated individuals to serve a cause greater than themselves. Our end-strength numbers, the number of Sailors we are allowed to have serving every year, is mandated by Congress and we are given objectives to reach based on those end-strength numbers and the needs of the Navy. Examples include our increased need for personnel in the medical fields, nuclear engineering, and naval special warfare and special operations. NRC has two specific programs to help meet Combat Support Operations and national needs. The first program is the Navy Special Warfare/Navy Special Operations Coordinator Program, which successfully placed specialized program managers in each of the 26 Navy Recruiting Districts across the nation in support of the drive to find SEAL, DIVER & Spec War/Spec Ops recruits. Spec War and Spec Ops are growing communities. To meet the demands, NRC must overcome challenges of influencers’ low propensity to recommend military service and the difficult demands of these communities. The second program is the Fleet to NOSC (Navy Operational Support Center) Program. These NOSCs are located across the United States. The program streamlines the process for Sailors to transfer to the Reserve at the end of their active duty contract. Guidance and training continue to improve the value of this program to recruiters in the field. (Next slide).
The bottom line is that recruiting the nation’s best and brightest definitely continues to be a challenge. Here is why... Combat Support Operations have increased the requirement for special ratings. At the same time, the pool of eligible prospects is shrinking, the unemployment rate continues to fluctuate (currently 10.0% - affecting all recruiting resources) and the propensity to recommend military service remains low. The combination of these elements makes recruiting a difficult challenge and requires a concerted effort from the entire recruiting team, to include active, reserve, and retired personnel (influencers). Let’s take a closer look in the next few slides. (Next slide)
As you can see here, the national recruiting market continues to shrink. Two-thirds of our target market is not qualified to serve because of conduct, academic (low AFQT scores), medical, and legal issues leaving NRC a pool of only one-third that are recruitment eligible. Of those recruitment eligible, only 850,000 are propensed toward military service. With the annual DOD recruiting mission at more than 170,000, that does not leave a sufficient pool of propensed and qualified individuals to meet NRC recruiting requirements. NRC recruiters must spend a significant amount of time reaching out to the less propensed group of potential recruits. (Next slide).
Navy has had a difficult time “branding” our service to the nation-at-large. What it is that we exactly do is not readily recognized by much of the country. NRC in conjunction with our advertising agency, Campbell-Ewald (C-E) has developed a new brand campaign with the tagline “Americas Navy. A global force for good.” (Next slide).
The Navy’s new branding and advertising campaign with it’s tagline “America’s Navy. A global force for good” not only brings a fresh look to the table, it speaks directly to the young men and women entering the Navy today who are called to put service before self and who have a broad understanding of how their service interacts in the global context. Let’s take a look at “The Calling” video which helped usher in the campaign ... (Play DVD) ... Ladies and gentlemen, that video speaks volumes and as influencers you can lead the charge to increase the propensity to serve among our youth. (Next slide).
Although propensity to serve has declined overall, the decline in propensity has been more severe among eligible youth than ineligible youth. Hispanics are the fastest growing market, yet propensity is moving in the wrong direction. This adds to the recruiting challenge, since the “father’s and grandfather’s influence” is especially important with the prevalence of single parent families today. This is also compounded by the current generation’s (Millenials) tendency to look to authority for advice. (Next slide).
A very big part of Navy Recruiting success is the support we receive from citizens who influence young Americans, i.e., parents, siblings, educators, veterans, youth workers and various Friends of the Navy (FON) organizations such as Navy League, the Fleet Reserve Association and Navy Club of the USA. These Centers of Influence (COIs) like each one of you, are vital to the future of our Navy. More often than not “Influencers” such as yourselves will choose to recommend service in the military as a result of your own views on education, war, and the economy. Let’s look at some ways that you can help. (Next slide).
As “Influencers” you must get out in your communities and talk to everyone. Share your knowledge and experience with students, peers and local organizations. Make a phone call to or e-mail the local recruiter in their area and offer your assistance. You may not realize the real value that you provide to these young officers and petty officers. Just by making this contact, you provide them with an invaluable resource. (Next slide).
Ladies and gentlemen, Navy Recruiting Command stands ready to meet the challenges of the future … but your help as an influencer is a vital part of that mission. Obviously, when the economy is in a downturn, some people who would not have normally considered the Navy as a first-choice re-think the opportunity to serve and we eagerly encourage them to do so. But unlike a civilian company that may focus on tightening its belt to improve the bottom line, our focus is to ensure we recruit the best young people this nation has to offer. We have to do that and maintain our high quality in order to remain this nation's and the world's preeminent sea power. Just as our government is working hard to preserve the economy and stabilize the American financial system during this time, we in recruiting are working hard to provide stable, secure, job opportunities to those who qualify. One dynamic that has impacted our recruiting mission is the increase in retention Navy-wide. This is certainly due in part to the current economic environment, but it also reflects the opportunities and challenges we enjoy as Sailors. Communication is key. Together, with your help and the help of influencers like each of you around the country, Navy recruiting will continue to successfully meet its mission, recruiting the best and brightest for service to our nation and the 21 st Century Navy. (Next slide).
I would like to close by providing you with a few valuable sources of information to assist you and those you influence. Thank you all for your dedication and service. 1-800-USA-NAVY (1-800-872-6289) www.navy.com www.elnavy.com
Recruiting, like many other specialized commands has its own jargon.
Not just a recruiting campaign The new brand campaign is designed to ignite a passion within those currently serving in uniform. We who serve are well aware that something very special resides within the spirit of the men and women who dedicate themselves to serving others. Understanding millenials Young people today want to be a part of something much bigger and more-powerful than themselves. Recognize their contributions to the whole, while maintaining their individuality. Sailors (including millenials) helped develop the new brand Recruit slogan history: “ Accelerate Your Life” (2001-2009) “ Let the Journey Begin” (1996-2000) “ Navy. It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure” (1976-86) “ Be Someone Special” (1973-75)
What we do as a Navy does is articulated in the Maritime Strategy.
Our brand is directly tied to the maritime strategy This may be a new tagline, but our mission of maintaining, training and equipping combat-ready naval forces, deterring aggression, winning wars and maintaining freedom of the seas remains the same. Our security, stability and seapower focuses on opportunities – not threats; on optimism – not fear, and on confidence – not doubt. Current maritime strategy elevates Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief to core elements of maritime power. We’ve always done this, but now we’ll plan to do it. Maritime strategy was shaped through a partnership with the American people. The American people want us to remain strong; they want us to protect them and our homeland, and they want us to work with partners around the world to prevent war.
We are asking for your help. Share your knowledge and experience with students, peers and local organizations. Call or e-mail your local recruiter to offer your assistance. You may not realize the real value that you provide to these young officers and petty officers. Just by making this contact, you provide them with an invaluable resource.
Navy Recruiting Command stands ready to meet the challenges of the future. Communication is key. With your help, we will continue to meet our mission, recruiting the best and brightest for America’s Navy, A global force for good.