Back in October Gunnery Sgt. Robert Hahn was assigned to be the lead recruiter in the Tri-State area for the United States Marine Corps.

Now, months later, Hahn is settling into his role and is seeing first hand the patriotism displayed by the people who call the Tri-State home.

“My experience so far has been positive,” Hahn said. “I cannot walk around in this area one day without someone stopping to thank me for my service.”

As far as military jobs go, a recruiter may seem like one of the easier ones. Hahn, however, says a lot of time and effort goes into trying to find qualified individuals. Those who do meet the high standards of the Marine Corps are great ambassadors for the area says Hahn.

“It takes a lot of hours to find the kind of people we are looking for,” Hahn said. “But, we are finding those qualified applicants here locally. Those young men and women are representing this area very well.”

One of those individuals is Kitts Hill native Pvt. Timothy Massie who graduated from basic training on Jan. 10. Massie attended basic training in South Carolina and will now move on to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina for military combat training.

“Massie completed 13 weeks of intensive training,” Hahn said. “This training instilled in him the core values of honor, courage and commitment. He persevered and earned the right to move on to his next step.”

Hahn says the Marines’ offers training in more than 300 jobs as well as providing chances for people to build lifelong relationships while serving their country.

“Most people don’t understand the Marine Corps,” said Hahn. “We are one of the smallest branches, but we offer training in a variety of professions. More importantly, the Marines gives recruits the chance to forge lifetime bonds with other members. Once a Marine, always a Marine.”

The recruitment office is located at 1504 Greenup Ave. in Ashland, Ky. For those interested in more information on the U.S. Marine Corps should call 606-325-7181.