U.S. Army Recruiters Strengthen Ties with Jackson Community

Photo By Jonathan Holloway | JACKSON, Miss.—— U.S. Army Recruiters stationed throughout the greater Jackson metropolitan area have made significant strides to become more deep-rooted in the communities they serve by supporting charities and academic events leading up to the holidays. Army recruiters serving the greater Jackson community have focused their efforts on outreach and establishing partnerships with local organizations. The Jackson Company serves the greater Jackson and surrounding metropolitan-area and is comprised of six recruiting station: Greenwood; Natchez; Greenville; Lakeland; Metro; and Philadelphia. “I encourage volunteer work for two reasons. First, volunteer work builds character and sense of purpose to help others outside our own families, and it allows my recruiters to exposure to recruit and touch lives in the process,” said Capt. Vanessa Hopson, Jackson Company Commander. (Photo Credit: U.S Army Public Affairs)  

BATON ROUGE , LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES

11.30.2023

Story by Jonathan Holloway 

U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion - Baton Rouge

JACKSON, Miss.—— U.S. Army Recruiters stationed throughout the greater Jackson metropolitan area have made significant strides to become more deep-rooted in the communities they serve by supporting charities and academic events leading up to the holidays.

Army recruiters serving the greater Jackson community have focused their efforts on outreach and establishing partnerships with local organizations.

The Jackson Company serves the greater Jackson and surrounding metropolitan-area and is comprised of six recruiting station: Greenwood; Natchez; Greenville; Lakeland; Metro; and Philadelphia.

“I encourage volunteer work for two reasons. First, volunteer work builds character and sense of purpose to help others outside our own families, and it allows my recruiters to exposure to recruit and touch lives in the process,” said Capt. Vanessa Hopson, Jackson Company Commander.

Affectionately referred to as the ‘Jackson Jaguars’, U.S. Army Recruiting, Jackson Company has been all over finding events to serve the community.

The Jackson Food Bank welcomed Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Young, Lakeland Recruiting Station, to its charity efforts, where Young found time to feed the homeless and distribute basic-need goods.

“The reason I volunteer at the food bank is because those are the people who need our help the most. With the holidays here it can be incredibly difficult for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or hard times,” said Young. “I have been fortunate enough to have had the Army to fall back on most of my life, so giving back to ones who are less fortunate is the right thing to do.”

Although Army recruiters are active-duty and required to perform certain duties, they are also finding personal time for major feats of giveback.

Metro Recruiting Station’s Staff Sgt. Robertson Toussaint is dedicating his personal time as the Defensive Coordinator for a Prosper Youth Sports Association (PYSA) football team, ironically named the Jackson Jaguars.

According to Toussaint, his PYSA football team ranks second overall in the league and are headed to a second round of playoffs.

“I saw kids with nothing to do after school and felt that volunteering would help and give those kids something to do besides be in the streets,” Toussaint said. “I grew up playing football and understanding the value of teamwork which is a foundation of the military.”

Sgt. Breadon Costa, Lakeland Recruiting Station, volunteers with Pearl High School as an assistant coach for their E-sports team.

Costa is also an assistant instructor for Military Science in Jackson State University’s (JSU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program.

For the holidays, Costa and JSU ROTC cadets will be participating in festivities with the residents of a local senior-living home in hopes to add cheer to those without visitors.

“Serving our community allows positive exposure for Jackson Company. Citizens can see us upfront and personal and we are able to answer any questions they may have about the Army and Army Reserves,” Hopson said.

“I believe that the root of why we do what we do as Soldiers is in service to others. That for me personally is at the core of why I joined the Army,” said Young. “Having the opportunity to service the Jackson community is just another way for me to give back to the community that my family and I have called home for just over a year now,” said Young.

To speak with Jackson Company Commander, Capt. Vanessa Hopson and find out more about events being supported by U.S. Army Recruiting, contact [e-mail] or (601)-454-7756.
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U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion, Baton Rouge is responsible for all Army recruiting in Louisiana, Mississippi, and western Tennessee. Our more than 330-member field recruiting force is organized into eight recruiting companies with 45 recruiting stations, and we cover approximately 103,874 square miles of territory while searching for America’s best volunteers who will enable the Army to win in a complex world.

• Date Taken: 11.30.2023
• Date Posted: 11.30.2023 15:19
• Story ID: 458829
• Location: BATON ROUGE , LOUISIANA, US