by Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Public Affairs
SAN ANTONIO - (August 30, 2017) Anyone who knows Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Thomas (middle), a recruiter assigned to Navy Recruiting District
San Antonio, knows he is not afraid to talk to people, unless he has to talk
about himself. This humility has served
him well in both his military and civilian careers.
In 2003 Thomas
joined the Navy, a decision he attributes to not having much as a kid growing
up in San Antonio.
“I came from a low
income household, so I knew the Navy would be the only way I would be able to
afford college and maybe someday fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a
police officer,” said Thomas.
Thomas is a man of
few words when broached with the topic of his personal life, but there is a lot
to tell for a Sailor who has worn as many hats as he has. During his first tour in Bahrain on the USS
Tarawa (LHA-1), he apprenticed as a corpsman, but when given the opportunity to
attend Master-at-Arms School he decided to change his rate.
Working as a master-at-arms
(MA) gave Thomas the experience he would need later when he became a
commissioned police officer for the state of Texas.
“Being a MA gave me
the opportunity to train as a K-9 handler and a jailer, so I now have my K-9
and jailers licenses for the state,” explained Thomas.
In 2007, Thomas
left active duty and decided to join the Navy Reserve; it was during this time
that he also went through the rigorous training to become a police officer.
After eight years working
as a police officer and as a MA in the Reserve, Thomas decided to enter the Canvasser
Recruiter Program (CANREC).
A consummate
professional, Thomas routinely utilizes his years of practical experience in
law enforcement to assist the command's Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection
planning and execution ensuring the safety of all hands.
“MA1 Thomas is an
exemplary and professional Sailor with an incomparable work ethic,” said Cmdr.
Jeffrey Reynolds, NRD commanding officer.
“He represents the very best that a Sailor can be, is an outstanding
Navy Ambassador in the local community, and is an indispensable asset to my
command.”
The CANREC program
is a temporary recall program designed for eligible Sailors to join the Navy’s
recruiting force.
Recruiters are the
face of the Navy to the civilian world and connect qualified individuals with
careers within 72 ratings in both the active and reserve components.
As a recruiter,
Thomas feels he has been given an opportunity to give back to the Navy that has
served him so well throughout his career.
“I enjoy working as
a police officer and enjoyed my time as a MA, but I have no regrets about
switching over to recruiting,” explained Thomas. “In recruiting I have been able to connect
with people in a different way that can change their lives for the better.”
While recruiting
seems to have come easily to Thomas, he admits that it has been a difficult
journey at times.
“It is not a job
everyone can do, you have to be willing to put yourself out there and shake
hands with new people every day,” said Thomas.
“I had to learn to pay attention to detail and be willing to learn from
my mistakes.”
Frequently recruiters will point to how difficult it can be in finding a
balance.
Thomas is no different, he admits, he had to learn to juggle work,
family life and school.
“I have an associate degree in Criminal Justice and I’m currently
attending the University of the Incarnate Word working towards a bachelor’s
degree, if not for my wife who supports me and helps take the brunt of the
family responsibilities, I would not be able to get it all done.”
With the bravery of a MA, Thomas has faced the challenges of recruiting. His tenacity was recognized by his leadership
and in June he was promoted to the rank of petty officer first class through
the Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP).
Through the MAP program, Sailors may be promoted based on their
readiness to take on the next level of responsibility and not solely on their
advancement exam scores.
“I was so surprised to be MAPPED,” said Thomas. “I have taken the exam many times, so it was
such a great feeling to have my hard work recognized this way.”
Looking towards the future, Thomas plans to complete his degree and submit
a package to convert to the Full Time Support (FTS) Navy Career Recruiting
Force (NCRF) program and ultimately hopes to advance to chief petty officer.
“I was very surprised to find out I was MAPPED to Petty Officer 1st Class," said Thomas. "It was an awesome feeling and I
couldn’t have done it without the support of my wife and my mentors at the
recruiting district.”
The NCRF program is made up of a group of enlisted Navy production
recruiters and recruiting managers who provide stability and leadership for
field production recruiters and recruiting management personnel. Enlisted Sailors can laterally convert from
the CANREC Program to the FTS Program.
- -
Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Giselle
Christmas, Navy Recruiting District San Antonio Public Affairs
**See links below for additional photos**
https://www.flickr.com/photos/navyoutreach/36126136484/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/navyoutreach/36126165924/in/dateposted-public/
For more information on Navy Recruiting and the MAP program, visit:
http://www.navy.mil.