The commander of the Statesboro military recruitment station shared the honor of his promotion with his family Thursday at the Statesboro Armed Forces Career Center.
As Sgt. Fructuoso Santos was promoted to staff sergeant, his wife Tiana Santos and his three children, Izzy, Adriel and Damien, cheered him on.
“I’m really excited for him and proud that he got this far,” Tiana Santos said about her husband’s promotion. “It took a lot, it’s a stressful job and I’m just excited for his new responsibility.”
As the recruiting station commander, Santos oversees a team of recruiters that work to enlist marines from Waynesboro and Jesup to Bulloch and Effingham County.
He is also responsible for training new Marines and making sure their physical and mental abilities are up to par.
Santos joined the Marines in 2012 and moved to Statesboro in January 2018.
At a young age, Santos said he was inspired to become a Marine because of his studies about the role of the Marines during World War II.
During the war, Santos’ home island of Guam was occupied by the Japanese military, but was eventually liberated by the U.S., specifically the Marines.
Learning about the Marine’s liberation of Guam inspired Santos, he said, to one day join the United States Marine Corps.
“I knew I wanted to be a Marine and, in some way, shape or form I was going to do it,” Santos said. “It’s pretty much a thank you to America.”
Present at Santo’s promotion ceremony were fellow Marines, who described Santos as hardworking and efficient.
Gunnery Sgt. Michael Trevino told a story about a time Santos went the extra mile to enlist a recruit.
Trevino told Santos that if he wanted to be a successful recruiter, he always needed to carry a computer with him and Santos took this advice to heart.
“Sergeant Santos purchased a desk, a printer, another computer and set up a desk with a computer and Wi-Fi with the printer plugged into the car in the middle of the woods in Effingham County,” Trevino said. “That is indicative of his drive and efficiency.”
Santos completed the entire recruitment package in under an hour, something that almost never happens, Trevino said.
Santos he plans to serve in the Marines for at least 20 years and then if he believes he can do more, he plans to continue his service.
“The Marine Corps has taken care of my family of five,” Santos said. “I can’t go anywhere else because I love the Marine Corps.”
Anyone interested in learning more about the Marines can visit the recruitment center at 609 Brannen St. in Statesboro or call (912) 210-6646.