Professional bodybuilder and Iowa City native Andy Haman encourages Ross Larson, a student at Ankeny High School in Des Moines, Iowa, to show his strength during a health expo at the school April 11.
Build Trust, Open Doors
H E A L T H E X P O S
10 | RECRUITER JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2012
By Fonda Bock Assistant Editor
I
t’s not breaking news. Fewer than 1 in 4 17- to 24-year-olds are fully qualified to join the Army due to obesity, lack of education and criminal misconduct — issues that are not only challenges for the Army but for the country. That concerns Minneapolis Battalion Commander Lt. Col. John Hinck. “Not only can they not join the Army because of poor health and fitness, lack of proper education and poor values resulting in moral and legal problems, but these issues greatly impact the health and future of our kids and nation,” said Hinck. Believing the Army has a responsibility to help build a strong nation and not just a strong Army, Hinck worked with members of the community to develop an outreach program in the form of health expos to address these issues. This idea of striving to help all students succeed in life — whether or not they enlist — is an approach Hinck defines as being a “giving guest.” “It’s the idea of serving others, making a difference and being on your best behavior in someone else’s community,” he said. But before Hinck could get his recruiters into schools to make a difference, first they had to earn the trust of school officials. Based on production reports and conversations he’d had with some educators, Hinck had the impression that his recruiters were viewed as only being interested in enlisting students and not in helping to make a positive difference in their futures.