Esma Orgeron
July 2, 2007
NSU business college dean elected to state CPA board
July 4, 2007
The Louisiana National Guard in Houma may be called the “Black Sheep,” but they are anything but when it comes to recruiting.
Louisiana Army National Guard recruiting and retention non-commissioned officer Staff Sgt. George A. Clark Jr. said the recruiting numbers are picking up across the board from prior service to new recruits.
High school enlistments are going well.
“Some of the seniors have graduated and kind of got out into the real world a little bit and realized it’s not as easy to get student loans or work full-time while they’re in school. It’s not as easy as they thought it was going to be,” said Clark. “So they’re starting to look for the tuition exemption from the military to continue their education.”
Clark said those re-enlisting in the Guard are doing it for the camaraderie and for service to their country.
“They decide they’re gong to stay in because they don’t want to let their team down, their group of people, the guys they’ve become friends with over the years,” he explained. “They don’t want to separate from that. They want to stay in and continue to be a member of the team. So, they re-enlist.”
Clark said the recruiting strategy for the Guard hasn’t really changed much over the last five years.
“The more people you talk to, the more you get out there with advertisements and by spending time in high schools, letting people know about the benefits of the Louisiana National Guard, the more results you’re going to see,” he said.
One of the most effective recruiting programs the local National Guard has is its high school program. The amount of time the Guard spends at a school depends on the individual school.
Clark said the Guard referred some of the games at the Terrebonne High School field day and set up a table during the lunch period at some of the high schools.
The greatest need within the Guard is people for the medical and legal cores, the staff sergeant said. And there is a great need for people with these qualifications in the state.
Clark also said he and the Guard have been treated respectfully at the schools they visit.
“I’ve never had any instances in the high schools where we were slandered or they were rude to us or anything,” said Clark. “Not here.”
