Face of Defense: Recruiter Overcomes Adversity to Find Success

By Alun Thomas, U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion Phoenix

PHOENIX, Sept. 6, 2017 — With a full basketball scholarship to the University of the Pacific in California, the future looked bright for Army Staff Sgt. Jennifer Kirim. But during one fateful game in 2010, Kirim suffered a knee injury that tore her anterior cruciate ligament, requiring reconstructive surgery and leaving her dreams shattered.

With her scholarship taken away due to the severity of the injury, Kirim put a backup plan in place that would ultimately pay dividends: she enlisted in the Army, something she had dreamed of before college.

Kirim, center leader for Black Canyon Recruiting Center, Phoenix North Recruiting Company, has long since rebounded from her injury and become a top-producing recruiter for the company since joining the battalion a year ago.

Kirim, a native of Lodi, California, enlisted in November 2010 after suffering the injury, something she said was devastating at the time.

"After blowing my knee out and losing my scholarship, I realized I wasn't going to be able to do what I loved anymore," Kirim said. "I had always wanted to join the Army, whether as enlisted or commissioned, so I figured that was the best time."

Kirim took on the military occupational specialty of recovery mechanic and moved to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as her first duty assignment, leading to a deployment to Afghanistan in 2012-13 with the 101st Airborne Division.

Leadership Experience

"It was a great deployment for me. I got to go to a lot of places with different units," she said. "I was attached to British and Canadian special forces units and did recovery operations for them. The leadership experience was extremely valuable for me."

Following the deployment, Kirim moved to Fort Benning, Georgia, for the next two years and worked in field artillery, before getting notified she was going to be a recruiter.

"I was nervous when I found out I was going to be a recruiter," she admitted. "I was getting promoted rapidly in my own MOS and was very successful, so I was nervous to come to Phoenix and start something new."

Kirim moved to the Phoenix Recruiting Battalion in July 2016, and said she struggled at first before finding her way.

"I didn't know how I was going to fit in and contribute to the team," she explained. "The first few months were rough, but once I started getting my own rhythm going, I started being successful."

Keys to Success

The keys to her success came from trying different things and not being afraid to fail, Kirim said.

"What works for one person may not work for you, so you have to excel in one area and not be afraid to fail in others," she said. "That was my biggest thing at first -- I didn't want to fail, so I didn't try new things. Once I got over that, I realized I had to try different techniques and find what I was good at and thrive on them."

Kirim said social media has been an aid that has helped her succeed, as well as being an assistant basketball coach at Moon Valley High School here, something she said she relishes greatly.

"The team loves having me out there, especially when I bring other recruiters. We do strength and conditioning and answer questions about the Army,” Kirim said. "They love to see people volunteering. That's why we go out there, and they're super receptive to it."

Kirim's performance resulted in being appointed as center leader of the Black Canyon center this year, and it quickly became one of the top-performing centers in the battalion.

"I was worried at first how it would play out as the center leader, but the other recruiters and I all got on board and started putting future soldiers in right away," she said. "Morale improved immediately, and we've been moving upwards ever since."

No Gender Barrier

As a female recruiter, Kirim said, she was apprehensive how she would be perceived when beginning her assignment, but that her gender has proven to be no barrier whatsoever.

"I've come to find out being a female recruiter is positive, because female recruits feel comfortable talking to you," she said. "The males do too, because they aren't as intimidated."

Beyond the world of recruiting, Kirim said, she hopes to gain a slot at Airborne School in the coming months, with an eye to trying out in special operations in the near future.

"That's what I see as elite in the Army, and if I'm successful at everything else I've done, why not push myself even harder?" she said. "I want the opportunity to prove myself at the highest levels."

Alligator Dagger Exercise Tests Warfighting Capabilities

By Navy Lt. Cmdr. Sandra Arnold, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade

GULF OF ADEN, Sept. 6, 2017 — In the early morning hours, two miles off the coast of Djibouti, an Amphibious Readiness Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit prepares to come ashore in what will prove to be a visually breathtaking experience.

As waves of Marines launch from air-cushioned landing craft off USS Pearl Harbor and USS San Diego steam toward Arta Beach in a calculated formation, they strategically position themselves in preparation for an assault during Alligator Dagger, a two-week exercise that prepares incoming ARG/MEU teams in the region for operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

"An ARG/MEU brings an incredible amount of flexibility to the fight," said Navy Cmdr. Tom Sandoval, deputy operations director for Naval Amphibious Forces, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. "Whether it be at sea or ashore, our 'jack-of-all-trades' team is capable of conducting missions ranging from airborne mine countermeasures, counterpiracy and maritime security operations to humanitarian aid [and] disaster relief missions in the world's most volatile regions."

Commanded by Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Frank Donovan, the task force -- the first command of its kind since World War II -- integrates the ARG/MEU afloat, the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force ashore and Fleet Anti-terrorism Support Teams under one unified command structure to seamlessly form a robust and capable crisis response force.

First Opportunity to Train Together

Marine Corps Col. Howard Hall, TF 51/5 operations director, said this is the first opportunity for Task Force 51/5 sailors and Marines to train together as a fully integrated Navy and Marine Corps team alongside the newly-commissioned USS Lewis B. Puller; an expeditionary mobile base platform that will enable the task force to extend its expeditionary presence.

"We've been looking forward to participating in this dedicated unilateral training," Sandoval said. "This exercise will confirm what we already know about our strengths, but it will also allow us to evaluate where we can best focus our efforts in preparation for real-world missions in the region – because we don't get 'do-overs' when it comes to crisis operations. We must be prepared to get it right the first time."

In addition to the combat proficiency training, this exercise will incorporate live-fire, vessel board, search and seizure operations and tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel, as well as air and amphibious assault evolutions to ensure tactical proficiency.

About 2,000 sailors and Marines from the America-class amphibious assault ship USS America, the command ship for Amphibious Squadron 3; USS Pearl Harbor; USS San Diego; USS Lewis B. Puller; Battalion Landing Team 1/5; Aviation Combat Element VMM-161 (Reinforced) and the logistics combat element CLB-15 are participating in the third iteration of this exercise. This is USS America's maiden deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations and the first time USS Puller has participated in a naval exercise as a designated Navy warship.

Singaporean Air Force Supports Hurricane Relief in Texas

By Army Sgt. Michael Giles 100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP MABRY, Texas, Sept. 6, 2017 — Airmen with the Singaporean air force’s Peace Prairie Detachment supported hurricane relief efforts by delivering supplies to Brenham, Texas, Aug. 30, 2017, in support of Joint Task Force Harvey.

Thirty-four members of the Singaporean air force used CH-47 Chinook helicopters to resupply Joint Task Force Harvey personnel with food and water in coordination with the Texas Army National Guard’s 372nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.

The contribution toward Harvey relief efforts reflects an ongoing partnership between Singapore and Texas, according to a statement from the Singaporean defense ministry.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said, “This was a small gesture to express our appreciation and gratitude to the U.S., and in particular the state of Texas, which have been good hosts for our Peace Prairie Detachment.”

Crucial Assistance

Texas has hosted the detachment at the Grand Prairie Army Aviation Support Facility in Dallas since the detachment’s inauguration in May 1996. They have trained at the Joint Readiness Training Center and taken part in Exercise Red Flag, and trained alongside Texas National Guardsmen in large-scale emergency response exercises. The airmen put this training to use as they coordinated with the Texas National Guard in response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, fire and flood operations in Texas in 2000, and Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

The Singaporean detachment has been fulfilling a crucial role in helping resupplying food and water to service members on the ground, said Army Lt. Col. John Crawson, commander of the Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Sustainment Brigade.

“We have soldiers down in the joint operations area that are relying on our resupply,” Crawson said. “They’re relying on our [meals, ready to eat] and bottled water. And when they begin to get very low on supplies, it’s very crucial that I get them there.”

Crawson said that sling load operations are necessary when flooding prevents effective ground travel. The Singaporean detachment is an ideal partner in these situations, because they frequently rehearse these capabilities with Texas National Guardsmen during their annual training.

“We are extremely grateful for their support and we will continue to ask them to help us out,” Crawson said.