Last Thursday, at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge, Suffolk County played a pivotal role in hosting the Oath of Enlistment for several U.S. Army recruits, the first time the County has ever had the privilege.
Captain Logan McNally, Company Commander for the Suffolk County Army Recruiting Company, issued opening remarks.
“Today, we recognize those who have made the decision to join the United States Army and protect our nation. We are here as a family, a family of soldiers, soon-to-be soldiers, family members, military community organizations, and even past and future soldier families that are here in attendance,” said McNally. “We are here to show why Suffolk truly leads the way in supporting our men and women in uniform and their families.”
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) (pictured above) wished the recruits well as they embark upon their new journey.
“We exist as a nation only because of people like yourself. This nation doesn’t exist unless people volunteer,” said Romaine. “For the last at least forty years, this country has had a volunteer army, which means it depends on recruits.”
Romaine said that Captain McNally informed him that Suffolk is leading the way in number of recruits.
“For those of you who call Suffolk home, we want you to come home after your service is done,” said Romaine, adding great aspects of the service. “Number one, it changes your attitude about life. It gets you ready to come to the real world and do a good job afterwards. You learn a lot of skills, but you learn a lot about yourself in the military.”
Romaine offered to the young cadets that the County’s Veteran Services Agency, run by Marcelle Leis, will be waiting for them with answers, information, and resources when they return.
Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (C-Selden) (pictured above), Chair of the Veterans Committee, also gave remarks before the official oaths were issued. He mentioned that when he received the call about Suffolk hosting the oath ceremony, he didn’t hesitate.
“This is a no-brainer for us; our County has always supported our Veterans a great deal,” said Caracappa. “You will embark on a journey that begins today here, a journey that you will learn to honor and respect. A journey where you will be educated, where you will learn physical fitness, learn how to work as a team, learn how to defend yourself, protect your fellow soldier. And if called upon, you will stand, defend, and protect our freedoms.”
Lieutenant Colonel John Rhodes (pictured above) said that Suffolk County has gone from one of the most difficult areas for recruitment to one of the strongest.
“All the support they [the recruits] have in this community are from their elected officials, their friends, their families, their schools, their friends who tell them you’re doing a good thing,” said Rhodes. “The market potential [for recruiting] is wrong because it doesn’t count for spirit and patriotism, and that’s why this county is breaking all-time records for new enlistments.”
Brigadier General Daniel Hershkowitz (pictured above) served as the event’s keynote speaker. Hailing from North Massapequa, Hershkowitz feels right at home on Long Island, mentioning that bagels, pizza, and other staples are just incomparable to anywhere else he’s lived or served.
“Whatever your reason for joining, thank you for having the courage to walk into a recruiter’s office, have a conversation with that recruiter, and at the end of that conversation, hopefully you went home, you talked it over with your loved ones, and you made a conscious decision to be part of a team that represents something bigger than yourself,” said Hershkowitz.
Family and friends gathered for photos after the formal oaths were issued. Almost forty young cadets ranged in age from 17 to 42, with eight going into the Army Reserves.
The Suffolk County Recruiting Company has five centers; Bay Shore, Patchogue, Smithtown, Riverhead, and Selden. Their company headquarters is located in Ronkonkoma
