A Navy Recruiter’s Call To Service
by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joshua Keim November 28, 2019
He had a short list; law enforcement, fireman or U.S. Navy
Sailor. Above all else, Michael DiGabriele felt a call to serve his
country and fellow person. The humdrum carpet, banal furniture and
barren walls, tell the story perfectly. His focus isn’t shallow. His
dedication to service is relentless and takes priority over all his
surroundings.
He was raised in Clearwater, Florida, and from
the beginning, his family brought him up to help those in need. His
mother and brother both work as nurses and care for those in need.
Perhaps the strongest influence in shaping DiGabriele’s life purpose
was his father, John DiGabriele, who served in the Korean War as a
B-26 Bomber’s tail gunner. His father’s life had a profound impact
on him, and he grew up watching old war movies, cultivating his
strong patriotism from an early age.
“My life didn’t
actually come together until I joined the Navy,” said Mass
Communication Specialist Third Class Michael DiGabriele. “Peace
comes once you finally do what you always wanted to do.”
September 2, 2019
- Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael DiGabriele, a recruiter at Navy Talent Acquisition Group Houston, rests on the fishing dock at White Lake in Sugar Land, Texas. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joshua Keim)
|
He joined the Navy Reserve in late 2016 as a Mass
Communication Specialist, and it wasn’t long before he found his way
into recruiting for Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Houston.
Bringing new talent into the Navy, and showing young men and women
all the Navy has to offer, became his calling.
“I want to
help people, and I know I’m doing a good thing by giving people
goals and the means for a successful future,” he said. “It’s easy
for me to put myself in their shoes because I know what it’s like to
come from nothing, to be broke, and to feel like you’re wasting time
in your life.”
Confident and motivated, DiGabriele speaks
effortlessly to young talent about the Navy, and shows them “there
is a place in their life for service in the Navy.”
Now a
father of an 11-year-old son and with another child on the way, he
laughs about recruiting his son into the Navy and sending him to
boot camp on his 15th birthday. He also spends time watching the
same old war movies with his son, hoping to instill in him the same
passion for service to others that his father infused in him.
More than anything, DiGabriele wants to be a positive role model
for his children and his fellow Sailors, and he’d like to pursue his
passion full-time as an active-duty Sailor.
“The minute I
got to my reserve unit, I was planning my next move,” he said, “and
I knew the best way to get on active duty was to kick butt at my
job. I was willing to go anywhere, and I was volunteering for
everything.”
As a reservist filling a definite recall
billet, DiGabriele is assuming an active-duty role, but his
activation time is limited and it won’t be long before he must
return to his civilian job. By filling a leading petty officer role,
meant for two paygrades higher than his current paygrade, and by
having important collateral duties, awards and off-duty education
courses, DiGabriele is priming himself for leadership roles and
selection for full-time active duty status.
His work is
exceptional, and his chain of command has noticed.
“DiGabriele is phenomenal,” said Cmdr. Mary Decker, executive
officer of NTAG Houston. “This year so far, he has been recognized
numerous times for his outstanding ability to meet and exceed
mission goals. He is a leader who is always ready to assume greater
responsibility … and he brings a refreshing and positive attitude
that inspires everyone around him.”
One thing is certain,
DiGabriele has a profound impact on those he works with and on the
Sailors’ paths he helped forge in the Navy he adores. DiGabriele’s
barren office walls have plenty of room for his award plaques and
pictures but he says for now, “office decorations can wait.”
NTAG Houston has 31 talent acquisition sites covering more than
25,000 square miles in rural and metropolitan areas around Houston
and Western Louisiana. For more information on NTAG Houston, visit:
https://www.cnrc.navy.mil/pages-nrd/houston/default.html.
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters,
three Navy Recruiting Regions, 17 Navy Recruiting Districts and nine
Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,330 recruiting
stations across the world. Their combined goal is to attract the
highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of
America’s Navy.
Our Valiant Troops |
Veterans |
Citizens Like Us
U.S. Navy
|
U.S. Navy Gifts |
U.S.
Department of Defense
|
|