Staff Sgt. Stephen Hughes never expected to make a career out of the Army.
Like many soldiers, he joined with the intent of gaining a skill, serving a quick contract, getting out and going to college. It was the same plan some of the service’s most experienced leaders also had.
But he stuck around after what he said was a string of leaders who invested in his professional development. Now, he’s one of the Army’s most successful career counselors, responsible for retaining soldiers and pitching them to continue their service. He was recognized this month as 2023’s top career counselor in the Washington, D.C., area.
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“I love it. I get to encourage people to make really good decisions for themselves and their family,” he told Military.com in an interview. “I really have a lot of job satisfaction with that.”
And it seems to be working.
Army units in the Washington, D.C., area are already within striking distance of their retention goals, extending the contracts of 97 soldiers this fiscal year, which began in October. Their goal is to keep 100. Last year, the Military District of Washington, or MDW, got more than 500 soldiers whose contracts were set to expire this year to reenlist.
MDW includes soldiers in the National Capital Region, including northern Virginia and southern Maryland. Most notably, it includes the 3rd Infantry…
