(electronic music)
- [Narrator] Chicago is one
of the largest cities in America.
It's also home to the army's top recruiter.
- I mean, there's a huge difference
between a National Guard and the Reserves.
I mean, the benefits are all the same.
- [Narrator] Sergeant First Class Ernie Nieves
came to the US with his family when we was five.
- Go, go, go, give it all you got.
- [Narrator] He joined the army when we was 32.
After serving in the Army Reserve
he knew that recruiting was where his heart was.
- Packets so we can start working on and stuff.
As recruiters we have a wonderful platform,
and a wonderful opportunity
because we are the face of the army.
We're out there engaging with the community,
talking to the community
and what greater way to actually give back than there?
- [Narrator] That's why he wanted to come back
to Chi-town to recruit.
- It's my knowledge of, you know,
the violence that exist out there,
I guess made me a lot more comfortable if you will
to go out there and actually get my hands dirty,
reach out, pull out as many as I can.
(melancholic music)
You could put 100 people in the army
and never impact one life
and that's my goal is to make every recruiter aware
that you have that responsibility,
that is part of your job
is to make a difference.
- [Narrator] That passion is fueled by his past.
- By the time I was nine my parents got divorced.
I was extremely, extremely close to my dad
being the first born.
When he left I had a lot of anger,
I had a lot questions like why,
why would this happen?
Growing up I started to, you know,
you start to look for that mentor,
you start to look for that father somewhere.
- [Narrator] And like so many other young men
he found that mentor in a local gang.
- The way we were set up was very, very family oriented,
so everybody looked out for each other
but it's transitioned from a sense
of family and belonging
to thrill
and now for the most part
it is about the money.
- [Narrator] But the glamor and that feeling of family
he got from the gang
couldn't compete with the reoccurring nightmare.
- I started to have a dream
that I'm driving and there's another car coming this way
and a driver takes out a gun
and starts shooting me
and the bullets are going through me
and I'm trying to figure out why it's not hurting me.
Then I look in the back seat
and, you know, my son's in the car seat
and excuse me,
my son was in the car seat
and he was bleeding
and I remember screaming in my dream saying why,
why him, why not me?
- [Narrator] He left the gang
and has focused on helping others do the same
through mentoring programs
in community centers and schools.
- You know, it's the mentality
that needs to change,
it's not necessarily the environment.
So, if every recruiter would realize that,
okay, you don't qualify but I can leave you with something
that maybe can change your life from there
and have that sense of responsibility
and that obligation to serve in that capacity.
It would change how the world sees us.
- It says for his commitment
to our students through lives
and future Student Freshman Mentoring Program,
thank you for all your support,
the Stanly community.
- Thank you.
When you see them listen and follow through with it,
I'm very, very proud of the potential
that these kids have in Chicago.
That's why I can't wrap my mind around
like why wouldn't you do this?
Having the opportunity,
why wouldn't you give back?
(upbeat music)