Photo By Chief Petty Officer Chris Williamson | 220131-N-JH293-1005 ST. LOUIS (Jan. 31, 2022) Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling)...... read more read more
ST. LOUIS – From growing up in the St. Louis area, to winning a national recruiting award while stationed in St. Louis, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Sierra Clark, assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Mid America, is the very definition of a hometown hero.
Clark, who was selected as Navy Recruiting Command’s (NRC) National Onboarder of the Year, was born and raised in O’Fallon, Missouri, and enlisted into the Navy at Navy Recruiting Station St. Peters, Missouri, which is the station she currently works out of.
“I became a recruiter so I could share the impact of what joining the Navy did for me with other young people,” said Clark. “I also wanted to be closer to my family and to spend time with my mother and nieces.”
As an onboarder, Clark is tasked with introducing new Future Sailors to the Navy’s beliefs and values, as well as laying out the Navy’s expectations of them prior to them shipping off to Navy boot camp. Essentially, she is the mama duck to her baby ducklings, making sure they all cross the road safely.
“I love that I’m an onboarder because I’m one of the first people to impact Future Sailors and their ensuing careers,” said Clark. “It’s up to me to make a good first impression of the Navy and make sure they’re set up for success that way they have a guaranteed bright future ahead of them.”
According to Cmdr. Benjamin Fischer, NTAG Mid America’s commanding officer, Clark is everything a recruiter and onboarder should strive to be: she is a well-rounded Sailor who is dedicated to the personal and professional development of everyone up and down the chain of command.
“I have personally witnessed Petty Officer Clark’s dedication and leadership to her Future Sailors on multiple occasions,” said Fischer. “The amount of care and readiness she provides Future Sailors for the rigors of Navy boot camp is unrelenting and unparalleled, all the while with a positive mental attitude.”
As an onboarder, Clark performed her responsibilities above and beyond what was expected of her, which assisted in solidifying her station’s position as one of the top NTAG Mid America recruiting stations. She did this by mentoring, training, and leading over 100 Future Sailors from three different recruiting stations, a large percentage of which shipped to Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois.
Clark is not only committed to the betterment of the command but herself and her community as well. At NTAG Mid America, Clark is part of the command’s color guard team, having performed at several events this past year, and is also an active member of the Second Class Petty Officer Association. Outside of work, she volunteers at the local animal shelter and her niece’s elementary schools. She also provided gifts during the holidays to nine local foster children in need. She does all these internal and external activities while also pursuing an undergraduate degree. Quite the full plate for sure, but that’s not a problem for Clark.
“I always take initiative in order to complete tasks ahead of time,” said Clark. “I’m also able to collaborate with and work with all the other Sailors in my station so we’re able to get so much accomplished as a team.”
Ever so humble, Clark said her successes and accolades are the results of not just herself, but of teamwork and life-long relationships. For Clark, her colleagues and Future Sailors are more than just acquaintances at work – they’re family.
“The best part about being in the Navy and being a recruiter are the relationships I’ve built with everyone I’ve met,” said Clark. “It’s actually because of them that I was selected for such an honor of being the National Onboarder of the Year. I have such great leaders and a team that has my back every step of the way.”
NTAG Mid America, part of NRC, recruits the next generation of Navy Sailors throughout areas encompassing Missouri, Kansas, central and southern Illinois, and a portion of Kentucky. NRC consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, and 26 NTAGs that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations around the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
| Date Taken: | 01.31.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 02.01.2022 16:21 |
| Story ID: | 413816 |
| Location: | ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, US |
| Hometown: | O'FALLON, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 443 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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