Recruiter's passion makes her No. 1

A Kalispell soldier is the nation’s top recruiter for the Army National Guard this year.

Sgt. 1st Class Tavia Syme was named the top recruiter Dec. 4 after first being named top recruiter in the state and region. She is the first woman to receive the national award.

More than 4,000 recruiters from every U.S. state and territory competed for the honor, she said.

“It definitely was ... pretty exciting to be chosen after seeing what my competition was,” she said.

At each level of competition, Syme was “boarded” by her superiors. It was an opportunity for them to question her while she appeared in dress uniform and was critiqued to see whether she was within regulation.

Syme was chosen for the award based on the number of men and women she has recruited to the Army National Guard and on the quality of those recruits, she said. Recruits are judged on their medical, physical and moral capacities and on how many are successful at basic training.

She was also judged on how well she takes care of her soldiers and how well she and they contribute to their community. Syme and her recruits work booths at the fair, march in parades and are “in the public eye in a positive way,” she said.

Those young soldiers recently took part in the Army National Guard’s Christmas at Our House celebration, Syme said. They worked in the serving line and peeled potatoes for the dinner.

The goal of those kinds of events is to teach recruits to take pride in their communities, Syme said.

“You’re not just a part-time soldier. You’re part of a community. That is who you support,” she said.

Such service benefits the recruits, too, she added.

“It helps the kids feel bigger than life,” she said. “They’re proud to wear the uniform.”

Syme recruited 35 people this year, more than her personal goal of 32 and well above the mission of 16.

The secret, she said, is diligence and patience.

“I think patience is a huge thing,” she said.

There are many highs in her line of work. Syme said her favorite times are when she receives letters or e-mails from recruits who never thought they would survive basic training.

But there are also lows, like telling someone whose heart was set on joining that they didn’t make it.

“It’s gut-wrenching to have to tell them that their dream is over,” she said.

She knows from experience how it feels.

“I always wanted to be in the service. I was turned down twice before I got in,” she said.

When she at last made it, Syme, a 1983 Columbia Falls High School graduate, served for 15 years in the Army Reserve as a water purification non-commissioned officer. She has been with the National Guard for nearly three years and has been a recruiter for two.

“I have quite the passion for this. This isn’t just a job; it’s my life,” she said.

Others have noticed her love for the job.

“Her passion for the Montana Army National Guard is unmatched. She loves what she does and what the Montana Army National Guard stands for,” Lt. Col. Mark Boettcher, commander of the Montana National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Command, said in a press release.

While her stepfather served briefly in the military, Syme said her passion is her own and comes primarily from a lifelong desire to serve like the men and women in uniform she had seen as a child.

“I wanted to emulate them and be a part of that, and to give back to our community and our country,” she said. “I think we’re very fortunate to be here.”

She has since passed on her passion to other family members. Syme has a son in the Navy, another son and a daughter in the National Guard and a niece in the Army.

“I started something, that’s for sure,” she said with a laugh.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.