ICoE and Fort Huachuca leadership visit eastern North Carolina to help recruitment efforts

FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. — Maj. Gen. Anthony R. Hale, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence (USAICoE) and Fort Huachuca commanding general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Tammy Everette, USAICoE senior enlisted advisor, visited several high schools in eastern North Carolina, North Carolina State University and several recruiting stations to help U.S. Army recruitment efforts, May 10-12.

While talking to students at Currituck County and Bertie County high schools, Hale recounted his Army story that started when he was a student at Bertie County High School.

“Once I graduated high school, I went to college at North Carolina State University,” Hale said. “I received my bachelor’s degree in Political Science and commissioned in the Army as a second lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Corps through the [Reserve Officers' Training Corps] program.”

Hale also told students what they could expect if they decided to make the Army a career.

“You can expect to travel the world,” he said. “Thus far, I have traveled to 76 different countries, heard different languages, trained and fought alongside people of different cultures.”

Over the course of his career, Hale also told students how he earned a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies, and attended nontraditional schools such as Ranger and Airborne school.

“And these are just two courses that you can go to,” he said. “There’s scuba training, sniper training and language training. The Army pays for you to see the world and broaden your horizons. Your imagination is the only limitation.”

In addition to visiting the high schools, Hale and Everette also visited with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and attended several future Soldier oath ceremonies at the Elizabeth, Cary and Greenville Recruiting Stations and at North Carolina State University.

Everette, a Currituck County High School graduate, said the visit to her hometown was bittersweet, but rewarding.

“The most rewarding part of this experience was talking to the students and seeing and hearing the excitement in their voices,” Everette said. “It was also great to see a lot of familiar faces in the school staff.”

While there, Everette told students they should consider the Army as an option for their future.

“Anything you ever wanted to do or be, the Army has it as a career field,” she said. “I had a solid plan coming out of high school, and the Army wasn’t even on my radar. But, life happens and when it does, in my case, the Army provided everything I needed and a lot of what I didn’t even think I needed.”

Everette said the students that her and Hale visited with were more informed about their options after high school, mainly because they have counselors that want them to have options and the ability to make informed decisions. The counselor’s motto —Employ, enroll, or enlist.

“Currituck County High School also has JROTC,” Everette said. “They didn’t exist when I was a student there.”