Photo By Sgt. Lianne Hirano | U.S. Army Master Sgt. Earl Ventura, a recruiting and retention section chief assigned...... read more read more
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HONOLULU, Hawaii -- Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to Recruiting and Retention Battalions from across the United States and U.S. Territories gathered for the annual Director’s Strength Maintenance Awards Conference to determine the top recruiting and retention non-commissioned officer (NCO) and top recruiting and retention non-commissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) in Houston, Texas on March 14, 2024.
Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG) Master Sgt. Earl Ventura, a recruiting and retention section chief assigned to the Recruiting and Retention Battalion, HIARNG, was awarded as the top Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention NCOIC from all 54 states and territories.
“The Director’s Strength Maintenance Awards Conference is where the director of the Army National Guard hosts all 54 states and territories, including their top recruiters, recruiting and retention section chiefs, as well as their recruit sustainment programs,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Stimpson, command sergeant major of the Recruiting and Retention Battalion (RRB), HIARNG. “This conference is to determine who is the best of the best.”
Hawaii has seen success by sending honorees to compete at the national level of the Strength Maintenance advisory group previously.
“For the first time in history, Hawaii has swept the Strength Maintenance Advisory Group (SMAG) 7 with this being the first time Hawaii has had an expert honoree win it all,” said Stimpson. “At this level, you’re competing against all 54 states and territories, and Master Sgt. Ventura brought out the aloha spirit and leadership skills on a board and won against all of his peers.”
To win at the national level brings individual and organizational recognition.
“With the success of Master Sgt. Ventura, it gives validity to what we’re doing here, that we have experts in Hawaii that beat out all 54 states and territories,” said Lt. Col. Allen Tudela, commander of the RRB, HIARNG. “The way Master Sgt. Ventura won by being that example of the aloha spirit, how we culturally interact with one another and our sense of community, also shares our culture with the rest of the nation.”
Master Sgt. Ventura’s leadership is also reflected in the support and cohesion of his team.
“Working for Master Sgt. Ventura is one of the most rewarding things I’ve been able to do while serving in the HIARNG,” said Sgt. 1st Class Christian Staszkow, one of two second-in-command (2IC) for Ventura, RRB, HIARNG. “As a leader, he allows his Soldiers to be themselves, with trust to make the right decisions to accomplish the mission utilizing their strengths, supports creativity and I’m truly blessed to have him as a leader, a mentor and a brother.”
Leadership is constantly evolving, with different approaches producing differing results.
“When you initially become a section chief, coming in thinking you know everything with all the experience you had as a recruiter,” said Master Sgt. Earl Ventura, RRB Section Chief, RRB, HIARNG. “You implement programs, strategies, and plans of how to do things and envision how things should go, and it doesn't necessarily work out very well.”
As Army leaders, they are confronted with varying degrees of challenges and obstacles.
“When things aren’t going well as a leader, it can really humble you and make you learn about yourself,” said Ventura. “It makes you self-reflect and emphasize learning your Soldiers within your team, their differing characteristics and personalities, and develop their weaknesses while enhancing their strengths.”
Leadership styles and implementation can have a meaningful impact on the success of a unit or organization.
“Master Sgt. Ventura has found the perfect balance of accountability and taking care of the Soldiers under his leadership,” said Stimpson. “Every Soldier on his team knows that he loves them, encourages them, and supports them to achieve their success while maintaining the professional standards and evaluations to ensure each of his team member’s success.”
Good leaders approach challenges with standards but allow for adjustment and learn from less successful practices.
“It wasn’t until within the last few years that I readjusted my leadership thinking and approach,” said Ventura. “I told myself to do what I felt was right and utilize everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, let my Soldiers be themselves to be creative, passionate, invested in themselves and focus on talent management.”
For Soldiers who served under Ventura, inspiration and support strongly impacted their careers.
“I started off recruiting under Master Sgt. Ventura and I wasn’t very confident in myself at the time,” said Sgt. Kalani Woodward, a recruiter with RRB, HIARNG, and HIARNG RRB Rookie of the Year for 2023. “He saw something in me, and under his mentorship and encouragement he instilled in me a confidence and I’ve found a measure of success that I initially thought I wouldn’t achieve, and I owe it all to him.”
Beliefs, principles, and convictions are the cornerstone of any leader in any organization.
“At the core, I believe in allowing the Soldiers on my team to utilize their strengths,” said Ventura. “Most important is the art of taking care of those Soldiers I’m in charge of, not trying to be in charge.”
Cultivating a community environment within his team has proven a successful leadership style for Ventura.
“Leadership is not about fixing things, or trying to change people,” said Ventura. “It’s about being a guide, a mentor, a teacher, someone who shows by example and being the best well-rounded person you can be so that you can be that example both professionally and personally.”
Ventura represented the Hawaii Army National Guard and the community of Hawaii with pride and aloha spirit, which exemplifies his leadership excellence and sets the standard for future leaders.
“Hawaii always strives to represent everything that they do with a lot of pride and represent the state of Hawaii,” said Tudela. “With Master Sgt. Ventura’s success, it highlights that even as a small state, Hawaii can do it, and they will look up to Hawaii and Master Sgt. Ventura and see that example of how to do things the right way, how we recruit, manage, and supervise the correct and most efficient way.”
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2024 17:36 |
| Story ID: | 468356 |
| Location: | HONOLULU, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 463 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Leadership Defined, Hawaii Army National Guard Wins Top Recruitment and Retention Honors, by SGT Lianne Hirano, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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