Photo By Chief Petty Officer Chris Williamson | 220301-N-JH293-1002 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (March 1, 2022) Hospital Corpsman 1st Class...... read more read more
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ST. LOUIS – A great man once said, “Whatever you are, be a good one.”
That man was President Abraham Lincoln, a treasure of Springfield, Illinois. His words are something Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Kameron Williams takes to heart by being the best recruiter he can be.
Williams, a medical officer recruiter assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Mid America, works out of the Navy recruiting station in Springfield. Williams loves sharing his passion of Navy medicine with people and talking about the Navy’s health professions programs and scholarships.
“I love working in the Navy medicine field and passing it along to collegiate students throughout the Missouri and Illinois area,” Williams said. “It’s like passing a torch to the next healthcare professional with every conversation I have with students.”
Having already been stationed at a clinic, a hospital and deployed with the Marines, Williams became a recruiter to do something different.
“I wanted to still work with Navy medicine but also have new experiences,” Williams said. “I like to consider myself a well-versed corpsman, and I figured I could lend my knowledge and healthcare proficiency to the field.”
With Williams’ proficient knowledge of healthcare, Cmdr. Benjamin Fischer, NTAG Mid America’s commanding officer, has been impressed with Williams’ performance and his ability to sell the Navy in a very competitive market.
“Williams is my sole medical officer recruiter out in the Springfield area, and the reason he’s been doing it for the last few years is because he excels at it,” Fischer said. “Officer recruiting is a different beast than enlisted recruiting. Officer recruiters are essentially running a marathon, whereas enlisted recruiters do sprints. By that measure, Williams is one of the best marathon runners I have.”
Recruiting duty hasn’t been without its challenges. The pandemic made selling the Navy increasingly difficult.
“The whole country was in disarray and hurting,” Williams said. “People were staying in their homes and the futures for a lot of people were unclear. Although the Navy offers great benefits and a fulfilling future, it’s still hard to convince people to join when the nation is sick.”
With COVID-19 cases declining, Williams is glad the world seems to be getting back to some form of normalcy. His eyes are now set on achieving a few personal goals.
“I’m a big nerd, so I want to do some cosplays and visit Metropolis, Illinois, because of Superman,” Williams said. “I also plan on continuing to work on my degrees and becoming a fitness instructor.”
However, education and fitness weren’t always important to Williams. Prior to the Navy, Williams didn’t want anything to do with them. After he enlisted, the Navy changed his mind and afforded him the opportunity to accomplish his goals.
“The Navy allows me to go to school and provides me with funding, and it also allows me to go to the gym during working hours,” Williams said. “The Navy literally pays me to be the best person I can be, and that’s something I want for everyone.”
Equating the Navy to what Fischer said about Williams, the premier sea service is like a marathon race: It has its ups and downs and can feel like it lasts for a while, but what really makes it amazing are the people in it.
“I have so many friends and acquaintances from around the world thanks to the Navy,” Williams said. “I could go anywhere, to any coast, and without a doubt, I’d have someone I could call on if I needed something. There is no amount of money, education or experience that can create the networks and friendships the Navy has given me.”
The Navy has been extremely rewarding for Williams. When asked what the most rewarding part of his job is, Williams simply replied:
“Knowing I helped make people’s dreams a reality is the greatest reward.”
NTAG Mid America, part of Navy Recruiting Command (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 mission is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
| Date Taken: | 03.04.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.04.2022 10:21 |
| Story ID: | 415754 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 287 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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