Recruiting helps people start their adventures

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Heather Heiney
  • 403rd Wing Public Affairs

“Start Your Adventure” is the Air Force Reserve’s recruiting slogan. The 403rd Wing is already home to the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters and the 815th Airlift Squadron Flying Jennies, but with the addition of the new 803rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Sept. 11 and 36th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron in October there is even more adventure to be had.

 

To make all this adventure possible, the 403rd Wing recruiting office is busy searching for qualified candidates to fill open positions across the wing.

 

“We’re looking for somebody who’s qualified, can accept and has a need for this opportunity, and is motivated,” Master Sgt. Patrick Pittman, 403rd Wing recruiter said.

 

Pittman has been a recruiter since 2011 and works primarily out of the recently re-opened recruiting office in D’Iberville, Mississippi. “I became a recruiter because I wanted to leave a legacy behind and have a say in the type of Airmen we’re getting in the Air Force Reserve,” Pittman said.

 

He said that to recruit a variety of candidates the recruiting team does school visits, sets up booths at community events such as music festivals and Biloxi’s annual Cruisin’ the Coast, and finds any way they can to talk to people they meet about opportunities in the Air Force Reserve.

 

“I love the interaction with the new people and being able to assist new recruits in establishing their military career,” Pittman said. “A lot of new recruits are looking to find themselves or are searching for a sense of discipline and structure in their lives. They need someone to point them in the right direction.”

 

Meeting with a recruiter is the first step in building a military career. Their job is to determine whether a person has the attitude and skills necessary to integrate into the Air Force Reserve and contribute to mission accomplishment. They make this determination by coordinating physical fitness screenings, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery tests, reviewing work and educational history and conducting background checks. They also sit down and talk with each candidate. Pittman said it’s important to ask the right questions and get a sense of who that person is and why they want to be a part of the Air Force Reserve.

 

“We’re looking for someone who’s willing to volunteer and support their country knowing that they may be in harm’s way,” Senior Master Sgt. Dominique Hogan, 403rd Wing senior recruiter, said. “We’re looking for someone who wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”

 

Individuals who are ready to start their own adventure should call 800-257-1212, visit the 403rd’s recruiting website or check out www.afreserve.com. Airmen already in the Air Force Reserve and Air Force Reserve civilian employees, can earn prizes by referring qualified candidates through the Get One Now program. For more information about the 403rd Wing visit the wing’s website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.