thedrifter
06-09-07, 08:04 AM
Saturday, 06/09/07
Border Patrol takes search for recruits around racetrack
Officials hope car sponsorship will attract new agents
By COLBY SLEDGE
Staff Writer
As a rookie in auto racing's NASCAR Busch Series that stops at Nashville Superspeedway today, Robert Richardson Jr. hasn't received an overwhelming amount of attention.
His top showing in four races this year is 19th. His previous trip to Nashville saw him finish 34 laps off the lead.
His car, on the other hand, is another issue entirely.
Richardson drives the U.S. Border Patrol No. 28 for the Jay Robinson Racing team, marking the latest effort in the patrol's major national recruiting effort.
Richardson said the participation of the military branches — Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have all sponsored NASCAR cars — led to a natural link between the patrol and the racing league.
"It was just a matter of time that the Border Patrol got involved," he said.
The timing is more than coincidental, say Border Patrol officials, as the organization looks to recruit 9,000 new agents — 6,000 additional positions, as well as 3,000 to replace retirees — as part of a call last year from President Bush for a 50 percent increase in agents by the end of 2008.
More than 6,000 members of the National Guard, including several Tennessee units, have been sent to the U.S.-Mexico border while the patrol seeks new recruits.
"Never in our 83-year history have we had this ambitious of a hiring campaign," said Assistant Border Patrol Chief Michael Olsen, who will be at a booth outside the racetrack today to talk with prospective recruits.
Olsen and Richardson say they have received positive reaction from the sponsorship, which will run for 25 races, at a price tag of $950,000. Officials say the deal allows them to gain visibility in regions like the Southeast, where the Border Patrol doesn't have an immediate presence and may be little known.
"We take it city by city, because the greatest benefit is not how many people we'll meet at the racetrack, but the awareness for the community that we exist and that it's an option," Olsen said.
Today's stop in Nashville will mark the fourth race for the car, which features the Border Patrol's emblem on the hood and a green-and-gold color scheme.
At last week's race in Dover, Del., Olsen said, he talked to between 50 and 100 people who were eligible and interested in joining.
About 1,500 agents have been hired since the patrol's campaign began last year. The process is often slow, Olsen said: One in 30 applicants actually becomes an agent.
Richardson said he has enjoyed the added attention for the team, even if it's centered more on the car itself rather than where it finishes.
"It's a lot of fun having the Border Patrol on our car — it adds to the camaraderie on the team," he said.
"They're serious about what they're doing for the nation, and we're serious about what we're doing for our race team."
Ellie
Border Patrol takes search for recruits around racetrack
Officials hope car sponsorship will attract new agents
By COLBY SLEDGE
Staff Writer
As a rookie in auto racing's NASCAR Busch Series that stops at Nashville Superspeedway today, Robert Richardson Jr. hasn't received an overwhelming amount of attention.
His top showing in four races this year is 19th. His previous trip to Nashville saw him finish 34 laps off the lead.
His car, on the other hand, is another issue entirely.
Richardson drives the U.S. Border Patrol No. 28 for the Jay Robinson Racing team, marking the latest effort in the patrol's major national recruiting effort.
Richardson said the participation of the military branches — Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have all sponsored NASCAR cars — led to a natural link between the patrol and the racing league.
"It was just a matter of time that the Border Patrol got involved," he said.
The timing is more than coincidental, say Border Patrol officials, as the organization looks to recruit 9,000 new agents — 6,000 additional positions, as well as 3,000 to replace retirees — as part of a call last year from President Bush for a 50 percent increase in agents by the end of 2008.
More than 6,000 members of the National Guard, including several Tennessee units, have been sent to the U.S.-Mexico border while the patrol seeks new recruits.
"Never in our 83-year history have we had this ambitious of a hiring campaign," said Assistant Border Patrol Chief Michael Olsen, who will be at a booth outside the racetrack today to talk with prospective recruits.
Olsen and Richardson say they have received positive reaction from the sponsorship, which will run for 25 races, at a price tag of $950,000. Officials say the deal allows them to gain visibility in regions like the Southeast, where the Border Patrol doesn't have an immediate presence and may be little known.
"We take it city by city, because the greatest benefit is not how many people we'll meet at the racetrack, but the awareness for the community that we exist and that it's an option," Olsen said.
Today's stop in Nashville will mark the fourth race for the car, which features the Border Patrol's emblem on the hood and a green-and-gold color scheme.
At last week's race in Dover, Del., Olsen said, he talked to between 50 and 100 people who were eligible and interested in joining.
About 1,500 agents have been hired since the patrol's campaign began last year. The process is often slow, Olsen said: One in 30 applicants actually becomes an agent.
Richardson said he has enjoyed the added attention for the team, even if it's centered more on the car itself rather than where it finishes.
"It's a lot of fun having the Border Patrol on our car — it adds to the camaraderie on the team," he said.
"They're serious about what they're doing for the nation, and we're serious about what we're doing for our race team."
Ellie