Photo By Chief Petty Officer Diana Quinlan | 230427-N-WF272-2046 CLAYTON, Del. (April 27, 2023) Hull Maintenance Technician 1st...... read more read more
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CLAYTON, Del. -- His Navy dress blues stood out in stark contrast among the red jackets of members of the American Legion, cadets’ Marines service “C” uniforms and the colorful jackets of civilians.
However, Petty Officer 1st Class Vincent Savage, a native of Smyrna, Delaware, assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Philadelphia, doesn’t mind standing out. Especially when given the chance to represent and celebrate his future Sailors at the First State Military Academy’s (FSMA) annual awards ceremony.
Despite the chill of the April evening, the grounds of the academy in Clayton were packed with veterans, Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets, and their proud parents and relatives. This evening was all about his future Sailors, his future shipmates and eventual leaders for whom he lays the groundwork as did generations of service members before him.
Looking at these future leaders, Savage was reminded of why he joined the Navy 15 years ago. He didn’t have his adult life figured out right after school unlike some of these high school seniors today. Married early to his high school sweetheart and with a baby on the way, it took four years for him to decide on the Navy as a career. However, he and his family are still so proud of his decision to join.
“When I joined, I wanted to give my family a better life, to see the world with them, and to be part of something big,” said Savage. “I wanted for my wife and my children to be proud of what I'm doing in life, but also to serve my country and its people. The Navy has given me skills to live a more productive life. It's given my family great benefits, but it also has given me a different outlook on life, made me grow up a lot more, and I see things a lot differently since I joined.”
Almost 10 years of service and two carriers later, Savage decided to come back to where his journey in the Navy began; to pay his good fortune forward, while serving as a recruiter - a unique duty, said Savage, as “you get to be the first impression of the Navy. And I think that the first impression is one that lasts the longest.”
Savage was thankful to have great recruiters, with whom he still keeps in touch, who were his first of many Navy mentors acquired over his years of service.
“The Navy places big emphasis on mentorship, where experiences and knowledge of senior Sailors is shared as a teaching tool to junior personnel, helping them to develop and become better, well-rounded individuals, both in naval career and personal life,” explained Savage. “I want the men and women who I put in the Navy to have a good experience from the start, to understand the process, and be able to ask questions, before and after they ship out to boot camp.”
Savage said one of the most rewarding parts of his job is watching these young future Sailors gearing up to go out to the fleet, to keep in touch with his Sailors as they serve in their first commands, and to receive their calls asking for advice or simply to chat about their accomplishments and experiences.
“But even before they ship to boot camp, probably the best part is holding the DEP [delayed entry program] meetings: doing some PT, teaching the Navy basics, meeting their families, and even having a bit of fun,” said Savage. “When you get them motivated - it motivates you! And I love it when they get out of boot camp, they call me and say ‘yeah, everything is as you taught and showed us.’ Because even though it's simple basics, and they learn far more in boot camp, I still train them like we do in the fleet, until it’s a muscle memory.”
As his previous Navy experiences helped him grow, Savage also credits recruiting duty in his constant development as a leader and a Sailor. The mentality of “do as I say, because I said so,” which he grew up with, no longer applies, and young generations come in with an often questioning attitude.
“I grew up with older generations’ mentality of doing things with no questions asked, but working with these kids, I know that they want to learn and understand why we do what we do, and how to do it properly,” explained Savage. “I changed my mentality, and it helped me be transparent with my applicants when they have questions, because I had to ask these questions to have the right answers for every possible scenario. Through that I also learned how to be a better leader, handle a variety of situations, and be savvy in administrative work - all of which I will be taking back to the fleet, knowing that the new generations of Sailors I helped to put in the Navy are now serving side by side with me.”
In addition to serving the Navy, supporting his local community and being an active member in it has always been one of Savage's priorities. He volunteers with the American Legion and various veterans organizations, and instills this support and presence in the community in his future Sailors.
“I tell each and every future Sailor: ‘you are a representation of the U.S. Navy! When you're out there and you do something good in your neighborhood or local community, people are going to recognize you, and it makes them feel good about your service, the Navy, and it makes you feel good too’,” shared Savage. “I bring my future Sailors to volunteering events too, like marathons support, cleanups, parades, and even recruiting events. I think that builds a stronger future Sailor, camaraderie, and positive outlook on their future, where they're going to take that initiative to the fleet and continue to do it wherever they serve.”
But by far the highlight of Savage’s recruiting career is having his son Daniel follow in his footsteps and join the Navy.
“One of my greatest accomplishments on recruiting duty is putting my son in the Navy,” said Savage. “It's a great feeling to see him excited to ship out in July. I’m proud of him following in my footsteps and, hopefully, he will exceed what I've done in the Navy. I hope I've given him the tools to succeed, like I did for every future Sailor.”
Graduating this year from FSMA, Daniel Savage was among the cadets recognized in the ceremony for making a commitment to enlist. Unlike other parents watching the ceremony and their children from the audience, both father and son proudly stood side by side while mom and sister took myriads of photos.
“It's great being a part of an award ceremony in my hometown with my son, my family and my future Sailors,” said Savage. “I think all who attended it today will remember this moment for the rest of their lives.”
NTAG Philadelphia encompasses regions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia, providing recruiting services from more than 30 talent acquisition sites, with the combined goal of attracting the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
With more than 330,000 active duty sailors, 290 deployable ships, more than 3,700 aircraft and dozens of bases in the U.S. and across the globe, America's Navy is the largest, most powerful naval force in the world. The opportunities available in today's Navy are as boundless as the sea itself. To learn more about the opportunities in the Navy visit www.navy.com
| Date Taken: | 05.12.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2023 13:59 |
| Story ID: | 445117 |
| Location: | CLAYTON, DELAWARE, US |
| Web Views: | 204 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Your Recruiter - Your First Navy Mentor, by CPO Diana Quinlan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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