by Ben Potter
Are you an Army Captain whose AIM marketplace is open? If so, you may see Company Command positions within the U.S. Army Recruiting Command (“USAREC”). These positions are a phenomenal broadening opportunity, and you should consider taking them.
Before accepting my current job with USAREC, I was key development (“KD”) complete, having commanded both a tank and headquarters company. A third command was the last job I wanted. Yet, after a year in the seat, this job has proven to be truly rewarding. This article will explore what USAREC is, what a command in USAREC entails, and provide perspective as you determine whether this could be a job for you.
About USAREC
USAREC is not well known among the officer community, especially for those in combat arms. I went into this command without knowing any USAREC Company Commanders. This prevented me from knowing what to expect taking the assignment.
The priority of a USAREC command is to enlist civilians into the Amy’s Active and Reserve Components. Each company receives a missionset which requires us to achieve a total number of contracts each month. This missionset is disseminated to the recruiting stations and to individual recruiters. While we Commanders are not personally responsible for acquiring individual contracts, the recruiters are obligated to incur one contract per month, or eleven contracts per year. Not all companies make their missionset each month, and, in my experience, a failure of one’s company to make its missionset does not mean you lose a top block on your evaluation. The current USAREC leadership focuses on ensuring as many of the recruiters as possible achieve their monthly contract requirement. For example, your Brigade’s monthly goal requires that at least 75% of the recruiters achieve a contract.
The real difference I have found between USAREC and conventional units is that, in USAREC, you are not expected to be the subject-matter expert in recruiting. Instead, that task falls onto the shoulders of our First Sergeant, whose MOS is a 79R Recruiter, rather than an 11B Infantryman or a 19K Armor Crewman. Your job as a commander resembles that of a FORSCOM First Sergeant, where you handle the administrative side of awards, evaluations, and career progression. Regardless of what the job entails, as a commander, the most rewarding part of the job is mentoring NCOs and helping them enlist our newest Soldiers into the Army. Being a USAREC member also allows you to interact with the civilian community and encourage them to take pride in serving our country.
Highlights from my Experience
High Army Priority: Recruiting is at the top of the Army’s priority list, something we observe almost daily in USAREC. For example, the Army restructured USAREC so it no longer falls under TRADOC. Instead, USAREC reports directly to the Secretary of the Army. USAREC also implements programs to promote recruiters meritoriously and help them achieve their Professional Military Education (“PME”) schools, such as Senior/Scout Leader Course (“SLC”) and Master Leader Course (“MLC”). Moreover, the number of resources available for marketing and training is unmatched. Finally, you can observe, firsthand, how the Army seeks to structure its future force, based on the various MOS’s we seek to fill.
Location: USAREC offers recruiting companies with stations located across the country, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Such OCONUS stations offer the opportunity to step away from a TRADOC post and integrate into a community, an opportunity you would not have in your traditional branch assignments. For example, I am an armor officer currently at the San Marcos Company in San Marcos Texas, located between Austin and San Antonio. I am positioned between two phenomenal cities with a strong military community and a diverse civilian population—and great food, I might add.
All NCO Organization: Every recruiter in USAREC has, at a minimum, achieved the rank of E5 Sergeant. However, the majority are E6 Staff Sergeants and E7 Sergeants First Class. From my experience, you get to work with highly motivated, professional, and responsible individuals who take care of business in their professional and personal lives.
Recruiting is Different: Recruiting is not a branch that officers can select from their commissioning source. Consequently, a USAREC company command truly is a broadening opportunity for captains from any branch. As a company commander, you immerse yourself in the civilian community and local schools to find the next generation of soldiers who will serve in your formations. Furthermore, recruiting is a challenge. You will have to develop your interpersonal and communication skills, since the job requires you to interact with civilian leaders, albeit without the same command authority that officers have among Soldiers. You must also learn a whole new system, including the arduous process of enlisting new Soldiers into the Army. While this may seem daunting at first, it is a fun and fast paced challenge where you can immediately see the results of your efforts.
Challenges I Faced
Social Environment: When my wife and I moved to San Marcos Texas, we did not know a single person. Unlike a FORSCOM Battalion, which has a group of seven to nine Captains, here your closest peer could be hours away. For me, this was not an issue, since I have soldiers and a Command Team to spend time with every day; however, this was a challenge for my wife who no longer had her friend group of Army spouses to lean into and spend time with. This challenge might not apply to everyone, but is a factor to consider before interviewing for a position.
Autonomy: With USAREC companies spread across the country, you may be hours away from your battalion headquarters. This means that the amount of in person contact with your chain of command is much less than individuals whose jobs place them within their units daily. Here, you have the freedom to exercise mission command, but if you are a person who requires structure and guidance from higher ups, this may not be the position for you.
Conclusion
Overall, company command in USAREC is a phenomenal broadening opportunity for those looking for a challenge outside their basic branch. I’ve enjoyed my time as a USAREC company commander and recommend it to all my peers who are entering the marketplace. It has given me a much-needed break from the high operational tempo of an armor brigade combat team, allowing me time to recharge my batteries, prioritize my family, and develop greater insight into how the Army creates and fills our formations.
CPT Ben Potter is an Armor Officer and currently the San Marcos Army Recruiting Company Commander. Previously, he was the B/1-77AR and HHC/1-77 AR Commander at Fort Bliss, Texas.
