swimming o of Vilano Beach. As they held onto each other,
Tyler and Heather began to pray. They were two miles oshore
and losing hope of being rescued. How could a day of fun have
turned so terrifying and dangerous?
f you really do have a plan for us, like, come on. Just bring
something, Tyler recalled praying. At that very moment, the
crew of the Amen that is correct, the Amen heard them
over wind, waves and the noise of their engine, according to
Kristen Tam in . ric Wagner, the boat’s owner, said, t
was surprising we heard them, especially when they were 10
yards away. But it was denitely the scream that we heard and
that’s why we were looking around.The rst words that came out of my mouth were God is
Right Place, Right Time,
Right Moment
22 | June 2019 | Real Hero Report
They needed a miracle and they got one. The two teenagers
were growing weaker aer they had been swept into
the open ocean, while celebrang Senior Skip Day and
real’, Tyler told WJA. Wagner added, There were too many
coincidences, in my opinion, for this to be coincidence. truly
believe it was divine intervenon. t had nothing to do with me.
was put there at the right place at the right me.
Coincidence? For me, all saw one aernoon was an older
lady walking down the interstate alone with a car sing a short
distance behind her. Since my wife and motherinlaw were
there, hoped wouldn’t freak the lady out. When she nally
calmed down, she kept saying, ust asked for help, ust asked
Jesus for help, as she clutched her Bible and purse. She’d simply
run out of gas. Coincidence or not? My wife and had ust had a
disagreement about 10 miles back because she said she wasn’t
hungry, didn’t want to stop at our favorite shrimp place, and said
let’s keep driving.n my 0 years of ministry, there have been other ministry
moments when was there in the right place at the right
me, in the right moment. am sure there have been missed
opportunies. Why can’t say, but all can say is, thank you ord
that was in the moment as we were on that interstate and so
were some boaters in the ocean am sure you have been, too.
Amen and Amen.
To say that Julie Barnes has a full plate would be a bit of an
understatement. For more than five years, Barnes has led the First
Command Advisor recruiting team, which includes 10 recruiters and
a program manager. As an active participant in the Veteran Employment
Advisory Council through Hiring Our Heroes, she works to advance the
recruitment and retention of military veterans and military spouses.
Take a peek inside the recruiting initiative at First Command, the
motivation behind it, and what makes Barnes tick. These initiatives are
similar to other organizations that focus their attention on military veterans.
What led you to First Command? I was first drawn to the mission and
vision of the organization. My grandfather was a World War II U.S. Army
veteran, and the idea of serving military families got me really excited.
I started out as a field recruiter, where I helped local offices make
connections in the community. I got to see firsthand what we do for military
families and for American families in general, and I immediately felt like I
had found a home and a calling.
What is your team’s recruiting philosophy? Unlike other organizations
that may cast a wide net, we are extremely targeted in our recruiting
efforts. We’ve found that the best cultural and career fit often comes from
the military community, so this is where the bulk of our resources and
budget is directed. Military candidates on the whole are mission-focused,
and so is our organization. In addition, they are self-motivated, goaloriented,
and have high-level leadership skills.
Military spouses have proven to be an excellent candidate pool for many
of the same reasons. In our experience, they are adaptable, knowledgeable
and ambitious. Unemployment and underemployment are common in the
military spouse population, yet here is a career that allows them to control
their own income and time. It gives them flexibility to care for their families,
career portability in the event of relocation and the chance to connect with
other military families in a meaningful way.
Eight out of ten of our advisors have either served or are military
spouses. They understand the challenges and opportunities associated with
the military lifestyle and they’re familiar with military benefits. We believe
these are the right individuals for our advisor positions.
Do you consider candidates outside of the military community? Yes.
We have a number of Advisors who did not serve, but they have a strong
affinity for the military, and the mission of our organization resonates with
them.
What qualifications do candidates need to have? We get asked
all the time if you need to have a background in finance—the answer is
“no.” Obviously, you need to have some interest in finance, but it’s really
about whether you enjoy building relationships. More than anything,
we’re interested in soft skills like leadership, coachability, interpersonal
communication, and a desire to give back. Our training program can take it
from there.
First Command’s Director of
Recruiting Julie Barnes Reveals
Skill Sets Her Team Looks For