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Kyle Davis was young enough to need his parents' consent when he joined the Army in 1997. Today, Staff Sgt. Davis is a veteran of the conflict in Iraq, with two tours of duty under his belt.

His latest assignment finds him in Craig, as the new recruiter for a region that covers 9,300 square miles, including all of Northwest Colorado, western Utah and southern Wyoming.

Davis joined the Army after graduating from high school in Fontana, Calif., to acquire training and leadership skills, he said.

Signing up for mechanics and allied trades that included metallurgy work and welding, he was guaranteed training by the Army.

After more than seven years serving Uncle Sam, he was given the opportunity to become a recruiter, a position he accepted two years ago.

The Army is looking for recruiters who have had experience in the recent Iraq war, and can discuss with potential recruits the day-to-day operations of a soldier, Davis said.

In Iraq, Davis was a recovery crew chief, in charge of getting to broken down vehicles and recovering the crews and their vehicles before insurgents could reach them.

"Sometimes they would be getting shelled when we arrived," Davis said. "They were so happy to see us. We would take them home where they could get food and a shower and then roll back out again."

At times, the recovery crews could repair the vehicles on site, and the soldiers would continue with their mission.

Davis was in charge of an M-88, a 57-ton, tracked, wrecker-type vehicle that could quickly latch onto a stranded vehicle, whether a Hum-vee or an Abrahms tank, and return to the relative safety of the American base.

He calls the fellow soldiers whom he worked with "brothers," and said he stays in contact with a number of them.

Davis is happy to be back in Colorado, where he spent his junior year of high school in Grand Junction and where his parents live. He said he enjoys recruiting.

"I tell my Army stories to (the recruits) and tell them what the Army can do for them," Davis said. "I tell them how I was working at Wal-Mart, making $6 an hour, and how I got to where I am today."

Where Davis is today is in the Army recruiting office in the Centennial Mall on West Victory Way. That is, when he's not in Kremmling; Vernal, Utah; or Baggs, Wyo., looking for the Army's next batch of soldiers.

He said he likes Craig because it is a patriotic town, where the Army and soldiers still receive a great deal of respect.

He also likes being in this part of the country because he enjoys hunting, fishing, driving Jeeps and riding dirt bikes.

Davis tells potential recruits about his experiences in Baghdad, Kirkuk and Tikrit, Iraq. He talks about the bonus the Army will pay for positions that are in high demand, and the money the Army pays for college when recruits finish their enlistment.

Davis is currently working on obtaining a degree in business management through Mesa State College.

Davis said his recruits often return and thank him for getting them into an area of training in the Army.

"I like to take applicants into a program. They come back and shake my hand and say, 'Thank you so much,'" Davis said. "It makes me feel good."

Dan Olsen can be reached at 824-7031, ext.207, or dolsen@craigdailypress.com.