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MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Taking charge of a Navy command is always a huge undertaking for a commanding officer, and with the constraints and the safety concerns of the current world pandemic, the job isn’t any easier.
Add to the challenge, 6,000 personnel with the essential responsibility of recruiting the Navy the nation needs. Personnel spread all over the country making up Command Headquarters, two Recruitment Regions, 15 Recruitment Districts and 11 Talent Acquisition Groups serving approximately 1,450 recruitment stations worldwide. This enormous undertaking is what Rear Adm. Dennis Vélez, faced when he took the position as Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, April 3.
Vélez is CNRC’s first Latino commanding officer. He came from the humble city of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. With a population of less than 20,000, its citizens are spread throughout the mountainside, waterfalls and small tourist business in the area. His dreams spanned much further that the township could take him, and today he’s a newly promoted Admiral with a huge task - to find the sea warriors who will serve in the world’s greatest Navy.
"I am extremely honored to lead Navy recruiting," said Vélez. “I know these are unprecedented times for our country and for the Navy, but we have full confidence in our great recruiting force. When we bring all the energy and talent of the Navy Recruitment Command and its partners to the different situations that we have to face, we can face any challenge. I am looking forward to this new stage.”
As the world continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations are being forced to adapt to a new way of operating. Online ordering is on the rise, many restaurants have become carry out only and Navy Recruiting Command prospecting has converted to 100 percent virtual prospecting for future Sailors to join the Navy the nation needs.
“It is important for everybody to understand, we are still working to get future Sailors into the Navy,” said Vélez. “Our Sailors are no longer able to go to schools to malls to colleges to look for future Sailors. We are now 100 percent online, we’re making phone calls, and doing all digital marketing.”
However, it is his belief that recruiting efforts can provide a sense of stability for those who may have a negative outlook for their future.
"In difficult times, the country has looked to the military for a way forward," said Vélez. “As the new Commander of the Navy Recruitment Command, I would like students in their final year of high school, especially those who are anxious about the future, to understand that the United States Navy can offer them a pathway to follow. Now more than ever, a Navy enlistment is one of the best investments a new graduate can make. ”
Vélez can say those words in earnest. Joining the Navy was a monumental time for him and something that has brought him full-circle in many ways. With the opening of new stations, Navy recruiting has significantly grown in Puerto Rico. Vélez said he is proud to be a part of something that has greatly benefited his life, and it is an honor to return that opportunity to all future Sailors worldwide.
Navy Recruiting Command’s goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy and provide the Navy the Nation needs.
For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NavyRecruiting), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2020 10:11 |
| Story ID: | 371886 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 273 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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