Hometown Heroes: An Army recruiter with a simple mission — help others make a difference, too

“I think that’s the biggest satisfaction or the rewarding part, is seeing individuals who want to take charge and do something better for themselves, and not only for themselves, but for their country too,” said Matautia.

Matautia comes from a family of veterans.

He enlisted in the Army as soon as he could, when he was just 17 years old.

“My biggest influencers were my parents. Both of my parents were in the military,” Matautia said.

His father retired after 22 years of services in the Army. His mother also joined the Army and served for three years. His sister served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 10 years.

“There’s a lot of benefits as far as my family. I have a large family,” he said.