Special duty special edition: Recruiter

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Samuel Taylor
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  In order to fill its unique mission requirements, the Air Force employs servicemembers in specialized positions to perform a specific duty. These special duties allow Airmen to step outside their conventional role and experience a completely new side of the Air Force.

One such position is the recruiter, a position held by Staff Sgt. Teressa Reed, 314th Recruiting Squadron.

"The primary duty of the recruiter is to add the best, most qualified men and women to the Air Force," said Sergeant Reed. "We strive to set incoming trainees up for success."

Sergeant Reed has served as a recruiter for approximately three years helping more than one hundred individuals make the transition from civilian to Airman.

"Recruiters are challenged to handle a wide variety of people every day," said Sergeant Reed. "Some have a lot of life experience and others are straight out of high school."

Due to the diversity of prospective trainees, recruiters have to fill different roles to fit each applicant's unique situation. One of the most common roles Sergeant Reed fills is mentor.

"I make sure to not sugar-coat the Air Force and the process for entering it," said Sergeant Reed. "Most of my recruits tell me Basic Military Training was exactly like I had described it to them."

Most of Sergeant Reed's Airmen remain in contact with her after entering the operational Air Force. She uses feedback from them to improve her work performance.

"Recruiters are always trying to better prepare their recruits for military duty," said Sergeant Reed. "So far, two of my Airmen have promoted Below the Zone."

Sergeant Reed underwent substantial training to become a recruiter. The first step to becoming a recruiter begins with the submission of a special-duty application. Applicants must submit a photo of themselves and past Enlisted Performance Reports.

If a servicemember is accepted, they will begin a seven-week technical training course at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, which is one of the most difficult in the Air Force, said Sergeant Reed. There, new recruiters are taught professional communication, human resource management and leadership skills. Most importantly, they are taught to represent the military image potential recruits aspire to personify in the future.

Yet training is not enough to become a successful recruiter, said Sergeant Reed.

"Applicants should become a recruiter for the right reasons because it is a challenging duty," said Sergeant Reed. "Recruiters can expect to work long days with lots of administration work."

Yet in the end, recruiters can say they have played a key role in beginning the careers of Airmen. Their hours of mentoring and supporting are commemorated by graduation photos of dozens of new Airmen pinned to boards on their office walls.

"This job is a great way to make a difference in the lives of many people," said Sergeant Reed. "The Air Force is a great way of life, and recruiters are the first step to going down that path."