Speaking with Sailors - Navy recruiting - Brief Article - Interview

All Hands, June, 2001

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy MCPON (SS/SW/AW/) Jim Herdt

This question is from a recent MCPON all hands call in Hawaii:

Q: What is the latest with the Navy's new recruiting campaign?

A: Our advertising campaign is still relatively new (it started in mid-March), but initial feedback has been mostly positive.

The new advertising slogan, "Accelerate Your Life," is designed to appeal to the prospective Sailors our recruiters are looking to bring into our Navy, and each of you currently writing our proud history.

I like the approach we're taking. We're capitalizing on a theme that strikes the mind and the heart; the mind of those we are trying to recruit and the heart of those already serving. The new campaign stresses that young people can be part of an institution where they really make a difference.

It also emphasizes a primary fact of a Navy career: the opportunity for young people to move ahead in their lives at an accelerated rate while gaining work experience and responsibility far faster than in the civilian sector.

While I'm confident the advertising campaign will be a shot in the arm for the great job our recruiters are already doing, we as a Navy can't forget our responsibility to also help recruiters.

I'm talking about retention and attrition numbers. Everyone in leadership positions should know by now how vital it is for us as a Navy to continue to increase retention while we decrease attrition numbers.

Usually, as soon as I mention lowering our attrition numbers, Sailors think I'm talking about lowering our standards -- to keep substandard Sailors. This is NOT the case at all.

We can improve our attrition levels by becoming more proactive, influential leaders in our Sailors' careers. We shouldn't make the path to success easier, but we should do a better job at showing our Sailors how to get down that path. We should all take a little extra time to show a shipmate that his or her success in the Navy is also important to us.

Our detailers, the Center for Career Development (CCD) and everyone at Navy Personnel Command are working hard to get the tools into the fleet to continue improving retention. As these changes begin to take hold, one of the best practices we can start at the deck-plate level is to help shipmates realize how good the Navy life of service really is.

I'll be the first to admit that the Navy isn't the right career choice for everyone. However, there are far too many Sailors leaving the Navy who could and should continue a successful Navy career. Again, a little personal intervention into our shipmates' careers can go a long way in helping them appreciate service in the Navy on a daily basis. Increasing retention, lowering attrition and maintaining speed on the recruiting front will sustain us as the greatest Navy in the history of the world.