It’s no secret that the Department of Defense has faced many challenges in the recruiting environment over the past couple of years. When it comes down to it, these challenges cannot be taken on by the recruiters of their respective branches alone. Recruiting commands rely on word-of-mouth and engagements from outside organizations to help facilitate information between the military branches and prospective recruits. One of the primary organizations that helps assist the sea-services with meeting their recruiting mission is the Navy League.
The Navy League Council of Minn. has been a staunch supporter of the local area Naval and Coast Guard commands that include: NTAG Northern Plains, Naval Reserve Center, Minneapolis, University of Minnesota ROTC, Maritime Safety Unit Duluth, Coast Guard Cutter Spar, three Sea Cadet Units, and three Junior ROTC units. The Council has engaged in many events including command picnics, an annual Navy Ball, air shows, Navy Weeks, award ceremonies at adopted units, community parades, networking events, with the primary focus to provide education and awareness to the surrounding communities about the importance of the Navy on a world-wide and national security scale.
“The Minnesota Navy League Council is a tremendous asset for us at NTAG Northern Plains,” said Cmdr. Jonny “DOZER” Kane, executive officer of NTAG Northern Plains. “They are able to amplify our reach into the community, and not just from a recruiting standpoint, but as an advocate of the U.S. Navy and their impact on a global scale.”
On the average day, recruiters in the NTAG Northern Plains area of responsibility are actively seeking to spread Navy awareness and seek new accessions across seven states that include Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and parts of Wisconsin and Illinois. From the beginning of this fiscal year, they have enlisted 360 Future Sailors, processed 90 officer candidate submissions with 41 selected, and had 52 NROTC applications submitted with 32 selected, which is 12% higher than the national average. (Statistics provided by NTAG Northern Plains.)
“The Minnesota Navy League engages with state and local representatives and centers of influence to promote Navy programs and opportunities,” said Joe Fraser, President of the Minnesota Navy League Council. “One of the programs that we are particularly fond of promoting is the scholarship opportunities available through the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps.”
One of the major scholarships available through the NROTC program is the Immediate Scholarship Reservation (ISR) scholarship, which is valued at approximately $200,000.
NTAG Northern Plains was approved to award four scholarships this year. Raina Elisabeth Roemhildt, graduate of St. Peter High School, will attend University of Washington this fall. She will pursue a major in mechanical engineering and wants to be a surface warfare officer like her retired father. Emmanuel Tallaferno Edwards, graduate of Eden Prairie High School, will attend Harvard University in the fall. He plans to major in economics and wants to enter the surface warfare officer community. Two additional students were awarded ISR scholarships, one from Valley High School (West Des Moines, Iowa) to attended University of Michigan and one from Saint Thomas Academy to attend University of Minnesota, but declined the scholarship offers to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and West Point respectively.
“The NROTC Scholarship Program provides an avenue for students to attend college full time, gain invaluable leadership experience and ultimately pave the way for the future of the U.S. Navy,” said Chief Navy Counselor Lenora Sprague, NROTC scholarship program coordinator assigned to NTAG Northern Plains. “Our student applicants are both exceptional and humble, a testament to the quality education and strong work ethic of which the Midwest is known for.”
It is through teamwork between recruiters and organizations like the Navy League that the Navy is able to achieve recruitment goals.
“For any student that is remotely interested in applying, I highly recommend taking the leap and logging onto our website today, as fiscal year 2024 applications are open to apply for,” added Sprague.
If interested in applying please visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/NSTC/NROTC/ for more information.
