FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. — To help the Army meet its recruitment goals in Southern Arizona, the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca hosted “A Day in the Life” recruiting event for Douglas High School seniors Nov. 18.
Students were able to experience situations that occur day-to-day for Soldiers stationed at Fort Huachuca like practicing the Army Combat Fitness Test; having a Meal Ready to Eat, or MRE for breakfast; and lunch at Weinstein Dining Facility.
Maj. Gen. Anthony R. Hale, USAICoE and Fort Huachuca commanding general, spoke to the 29 seniors before they visited the stations at the static display portion of the event.
“Joining the Army gave me the opportunity to be all that I can be,” Hale said.
Hale explained the Army had provided him with an education, healthcare, and the opportunity to travel the world.
“I’m sure that all of you know there are 195 countries around the world, I’ve been to 76 of them,” he said. “Think about what the Army can offer you.”
During the static display at Chaffee Field, students had the opportunity to see a joint light tactical vehicle, or JLTV; a military working dog in action; one of 2nd Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment’s unmanned aircraft systems; and much more.
Dante Hernandez has considered joining the military since he was a freshman at Douglas High School. He has several family members who served, and a stepbrother who currently serves in the Army National Guard.
“Once I saw my brother go, that gave me more confidence to join,” Hernandez said. “I want to join the military to have a good background, and then after serving, I would like to work for Border Patrol.”
Hernandez said the static display was his favorite part of the day because he was able to see and speak to Soldiers who had different jobs in the Army.
“I got to learn a lot more, and what type of jobs there are, and what they do,” he said.
Students were also able to use the engagement skills trainer and test their skills on the obstacle course.
Staff Sgt. Logan Giessuebel, the station commander for the U.S. Army Recruiting Center in Sierra Vista, has been a recruiter since 2016. He came into the Army as an 11C Indirect Fire Infantryman (Mortarman), then reclassed after three years to 15Y AH-64 Armament/Electrical/Avionic Systems Repairer. He is currently a 79R as a permanent recruiter.
Giessuebel said it was great that Fort Huachuca was taking an active role because many people are on the fence about joining the military. They aren’t exposed to the military directly until they experience something like Fort Huachuca’s “A Day in the Life” event.
“It shows them that the Army is more than what they see in the movies, and what they read in the pamphlets,” he said. “When they get out here and they see all these Soldiers who are actually living it, it’s not just recruiters telling them. I think that opens their mind to it a lot more. It will help a lot with the high school population.”
Giessuebel said the students were eager to come to Fort Huachuca and have this experience. His recruiters are established in the schools and will continue to help make events like this happen, but he encouraged all Soldiers to engage with the community on their positive military experiences.
“I think the more that Soldiers on Fort Huachuca are able to integrate with the community, whether it’s someone they meet at the grocery store or a family friend … the more they talk positive about the Army and talk about how the Army has changed their lives … the more these kids can see that and that speaks more than anything we can do by going to the schools and speaking to them,” he said.
More photos can be seen here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/us_army_fort_huachuca/albums/72177720303872630
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