Saturday, October 24, 2015  –   INDIANAPOLIS – Leaders from the Army Reserve’s 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), the Army Reserve Careers Division (ARCD), and the U.S. Army’s Recruiter Battalion Indianapolis (USAREC) gathered at the SPC Luke P. Frist Army Reserve Center on Fort Benjamin Harrison for a day of partnership building and coordination with the 2015 Indianapolis Recruiting Battalion Partnership Zone Conference, Oct. 24.

The conference was hosted by USAREC and featured presentations from the 310th ESC, USAREC Indianapolis and Purdue University’s ROTC program focused on ways to increase the total force effort in Army recruiting. 

The Army’s total force policy was initiated in 2012 and is designed to increase the joint partnership of Army active, reserve and National Guard components to create a single integrated recruiting effort to shape the Army of the future.

Capt. Stephen H. Casares, the commander of the Indianapolis Metro South Recruiting Company, said the Partner Zone Conference is vital to the recruiting effort.

“This allows us to identify opportunities for reserve recruitment, and identify training events for the coming fiscal year,” said Casares. “We can de-conflict any training schedule items that may have fallen by the wayside over the last year.”

“Ultimately, it’s a great way to partner with our reserve units who are spread throughout the greater Midwest region,” continued Casares, “and, at the same, time have build continuity and camaraderie.”

“In years past, due to deployments and a lot of people leaving out of the active duty and reserve components, we haven’t had the ability to actually meet up like we have today,” said Casares. "We’ve identified some of the training opportunities, some of the personnel shortfalls, and we are planning on having these conferences bi-annually, as part of planning for the next fiscal year.”

Speaking at the conference, Command Sgt. Maj. Levi G. Maynard, 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) senior enlisted adviser, said it is important to facilitate relationships between the recruiters and units like the 310th ESC.  

“Every battalion will use the contacts made here to maximize the recruiting services they provide to the units in their footprint,” said Maynard. “All of our units in the area sent their command teams to this meeting to increase unit understanding of what the recruiters do and to present a brief on unit capabilities and recruiting needs.”

Army Reserve retention personnel also played an important part in the Partnership Conference. 

“Information presented from the retention battalion is also important in outlining the administrative process in retaining Soldiers, retention initiatives being pushed by the Army Reserve, and identifying ways we can work together to make that process work more efficiently,” said Maynard. 

“Our number one focus is readiness, so in order for us to provide sustainable capabilities to the mission, we need to find ways to recruit and get these Soldiers trained,” said Maynard. 

“That’s where the recruiters come in; if they don’t know our needs, they can’t achieve their mission effectively, and we can’t achieve ours. That’s all part of the partnership conference,” said Maynard.

“We can talk about what our mission is, what equipment we have, and who we need, so the recruiters can go and efficiently and effectively recruit for our units,” said Maynard.