The U.S. Army Recruiting Command is gearing up for its annual March to Service, planned for March 21-31. A commanding general of the Army recently visited Edison and Metuchen high schools to share the career opportunities available to students.
Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe, commanding general of the U.S. Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence, recently visited areas of New Jersey and Pennsylvania that he is connected to personally.
During his two-day visit he engaged with educators and students at Edison High School; Metuchen High School; Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania; and Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania; as well as community leaders including the mayor of Edison, the mayor of Metuchen, the Main Line Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer from Wayne, Pennsylvania; 15 veterans; and 40 Junior Reserve Officers’ Corps (JROTC) cadets.
Approximately 40 student leaders at Edison High School offered a forum for Donahoe to discuss his career, his formula for success, and the importance of civic leadership, according to information provided by the U.S. Army, Mid-Atlantic Recruiting BN of Greater Philadelphia Area and New Jersey, based out of Lakehurst.
Donahoe shared his ethos of “Your physical capability adds to your mental capability” with the community members, according to the statement. Donahoe added “a personal campaign of lifelong learning is important when you graduate from high school or college. When you stop reading is when you are going to stop learning, stop progressing, stop advancing, no matter your career choice.”
Donahoe expressed the same sentiments at Villanova University, where he met with the university president and later students at the Veterans Affairs Office. Afterward, students met with staff from the U.S. Army Recruiting Command to expound on what communication tools and techniques will help recruiters get their message across to the student population, according to the statement.
Leaders from across the U.S. Army are focusing on reconnecting with communities to shape the environment and generate community support for the Army by focusing on organizations and individuals who influence young adults eligible to serve in the U.S. Army, according to the statement.
After two years of minimal face-to-face contact in communities across the country, the Army has seen the divide within society continue to grow, according to the statement. About 75% of young people today admit they know little to nothing about the U.S. Army and the career opportunities it offers, according to the statement.
During March to Service, Army leaders will work to reconnect communities to their Army through engagements with community and organization leaders, school personnel, and veterans groups across the country to inspire them to know their Army and ensure young people understand their options when making career decisions, according to the statement.
Community leaders underscore the importance of students’ future professional success and equated it with the future success of the local economy. The leadership skills, education and values that are acquired through time served in the military yield productive members of society that later are sought after by companies large and small, according to the statement.
In addition to a basic salary, soldiers can receive up to $50,000 in enlistment incentives. The Army also provides financial allowances to offset the cost of housing and meals, 30 vacations days annually, comprehensive health care, money for education, family services, and even career support after service is completed, according to the statement.
There are more than 150 different career paths available in the U.S. Army.
For more information, contact Allison Luchnick, Public Affairs specialist, U.S. Army Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Battalion, at allison.s.luchnick.civ@army.mil.
