Army recruiter recognized after 100 enlistment contracts in one fiscal year
Ortiz reached the milestone when she enlisted her 100th applicant, Future Soldier Swift. Ortiz said the moment was meaningful because she saw the same ambition and determination in Swift that drives her own work as a recruiter.
“I was staring at this young female, Pvt. Swift, and realized that she wanted to join just as bad as I wanted to see her win,” Ortiz said. “She was filled with so much ambition, and the same fire I saw in her, I saw in myself.”
Ortiz said she was overwhelmed by the moment because Swift became part of ‘HERSTORY’ — a term Ortiz uses to recognize the impact of women in uniform, women recruiters and mothers who continue to lead, serve and create opportunities for those who follow them.
Cpt. Alexis Ferguson administered the oath of enlistment for Ortiz’s 100th contract. Ortiz’s teammates and recruiters from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps gathered in person and virtually to recognize the accomplishment. Her 100th contract included an all-female group, adding to the significance Ortiz and her teammates attached to the ‘HERSTORY’ milestone.
Ortiz said the 100 contracts represented 100 individual stories and opportunities, not simply a recruiting statistic.
“I honestly do not care about having the title,” Ortiz said. “I care about each life I have changed in the process. … They are not just contracts or numbers.”
Her station commander, Sgt. 1st Class Krista Carroll, said Ortiz set the goal after completing 83 contracts during her first year in recruiting. At the beginning of the next fiscal year, Ortiz said her goal was 100.
Carroll said achieving that level of production required discipline, consistency and resilience, supported by long hours, weekends and late nights.
Ortiz’s husband, Nathaniel Rosado-Adames, a Marine staff sergeant stationed at Camp Lejeune, said he respects the dedication she brings to helping applicants pursue new opportunities.
“It’s not just a number for her,” Rosado-Adames said. “It was more of a change [in] somebody’s life.”
A Navy recruiter in charge, Petty Officer 1st Class Richard Sheldon, said Ortiz’s achievement also reflects the cooperation among recruiters from every branch in the Jacksonville recruiting building.
“The camaraderie that we have within our building with all the branches” is important, Sheldon said. “We don’t fight over contracts. We don’t fight over individuals.”
Instead, recruiters work to connect applicants with the branch that best aligns with their goals, he said.
“If somebody truly wants to join a certain branch, we’re going to send [them] to that branch,” Sheldon said. “The camaraderie within this building is very strong.”
Sheldon said Ortiz’s commitment to her Future Soldiers and her job is “inspiring,” and he credited strong recruiters with making a difference in an ever-changing recruiting environment.
“The recruiters make the market,” he said. “When you have good recruiters in a market, you can excel and you can write a lot of contracts.”
For Sheldon, a good recruiter is one who is passionate, motivated and genuinely focused on the people seeking to serve.
“A recruiter that actually cares for the individuals in which they’re recruiting” puts applicants’ questions and concerns first, he said.
Ortiz said that personal connection is central to the work. Recruiters may not be able to relate to every applicant’s life experiences, she said, but they must understand why each person wants to serve and help them assess which branch can best support their goals.
“Everyone’s reasons are different,” Ortiz said. “It’s our job as recruiters to relate to that person’s interest in joining and finding common ground.”
Outside of recruiting, Ortiz is a wife and mother of six. She said the achievement required sacrifices from her family, but her children’s pride made the work worthwhile. Ortiz said she hopes young women see her not only as a female recruiter, but also as “a mom that never gave up.”
For Ortiz, HERSTORY is about showing women — especially mothers — that they can build successful careers, support their families and leave a path for others to follow.
“We will be the change that young women need to emulate,” Ortiz said. “Women, especially mothers, made a statement this year. We are here to stay.”
Her station commander described Ortiz as “the heart of the station,” citing her work mentoring recruiters, holding teammates accountable and contributing to the team’s overall success.
For Ortiz, the milestone is ultimately about the people she helped begin their military careers.
When asked how she wants those 100 individuals to remember her, Ortiz gave a simple answer: “That I cared.”
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