Recruiting the home base

Sergeant Tyler Johnson of the Louisiana National Guard is an Evangeline Parish native who happens to be the new recruiter in town, thanks to Hurricane Laura. When the storm tore through Lake Charles, he and his wife and children evacuated to Ville Platte to stay with family. Now the National Guard is giving him the opportunity to recruit kids who grew up in a small, rural parish just like he did.
Johnson got his start in Ville Platte, at Charlie Brown Head Start at Ville Platte Lower. His parents are Shantez “Monique” Johnson and John Allison, and his grandparents are Waddrice and Betty Johnson. His wife is Brash Johnson, who went to Pine Prairie High, and their children are Aniyah, seven years old, and Taidem, seven months old. When Johnson was a boy, his family moved to Lake Charles. After he graduated high school, he went back to Acadiana and enrolled at U.L. Lafayette. While there, he joined the National Guard in 2011. He soon went through basic training and Advanced Individual Training (AIT).
“Further down the line I got the opportunity to become a recruiter about three years ago,” said Johnson. He has been with the Louisiana National Guard for 10 years now and was promoted to sergeant in May of 2018. Now his official job is in Recruiting and Retention where he started in Lake Charles, but the hurricane dispersed some recruiters in other directions. “They found out I’m originally from here, so they said, ‘Johnson, you’re going back home.’ So, here I am now.”
When asked why he wanted to join the National Guard, Johnson said, “Well, I’ve always been that person who wanted to make a difference, any way possible. Also the educational benefits. I had to create my own opportunities.” He said the National Guard’s main focus is career and education. “The kids around here who want to go to college but are not financially able, here’s an opportunity for you. Or the ones who don’t want to go to college but instead learn a trade, here’s an opportunity for you.”
Johnson said many people join the National Guard for college tuition benefits. They pay for 100% of college tuition. Also, the Student Loan Repayment Program repays up to $50,000 in pre-existing student loans. The Montgomery G.I. Bill and G.I. Bill Kicker could provide up to $684 of additional monthly income.
The National Guard also offers paid skills and training with over 100 career choices, and they help to build leadership skills, management experience, and on-the-job training. Being a member of the National Guard also comes with comprehensive healthcare for the member’s family. In addition to getting a monthly paycheck, there is also an enlistment bonus where new, qualified enlisters can receive up to $10,000.
Now that Johnson is back in his home parish, he is talking to students at each high school to encourage them to join the Louisiana National Guard. He said the kids are receptive and interested. “Military is a very sensitive subject, so most of them are scared when I first enter the room, but once I build that rapport, that relationship at the school, they’re very open to me,” he said. “The key to being successful is having a goal and having a plan. That’s the one thing I harp on when I go to my class presentations. Having a plan. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, and you have to create your own opportunities.”