The 107th Attack Wing recently enlisted its 108th recruit of 2024 ( between fresh recruits and prior service ) just before the close of the year, an achievement that has only been accomplished twice before in the past 20 years.
This series of deployments marks a significant increase from 2023, during a prolonged phase of challenges and obstacles shared by U. S. military employers across the country, say the managers of the 107th.
Recruiting into the government has always had its highs and lows, particularly present time as any consultant will sound. Ashish Vazrani, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, stated in a December 2023 post that during fiscal year 2023 the US defense altogether missed recruiting targets by about 41,000 volunteers.
Thanks to 107th recruiting efforts the wing currently stands at 740 of 779 authorized personnel ( 100 % manning ). The lowest the aircraft has ever been since being assigned the MQ-9 Reaper in 2014 was 708, simply 90 %.
Tech Sgt’s Ken Chudoba and Thomas Viau, 107th Interviewing Flight Chief and Production Recruiter respectively, cite medical exemptions ( most commonly ), and a general lack of public awareness of watch options, as typical obstacles to selection.
“A lot of people we talk to, including active-duty workers, don’t yet know the Air National Guard was also an alternative, ” Chudoba said. “Once they hear of the benefits of native services, they get very intrigued. It’s our task as consultants to break down those data barriers and let people realize they can do this. ”
“The large majority of applicants I speak with have a good approach towards the defense and military service. I struggle with getting them qualified to add, ” Viau added.
Each state is responsible for meeting its unique interviewing limit; as of February 2024 , Tennessee Air National Guard maintains the highest end strength in the country at 107 %, while DC held the lowest at 82 %.
The selection pool for the seven Airmen assigned to 107th Recruiting is from their neighborhood in Niagara Falls to Rochester, and west to Jamestown.
According to Viau, some of the most challenging jobs to recruit into are Public Affairs, mainly because the field requires a relatively large first entrance testing score ( the ASVAB), and Medical Officers, where professional levels are required before the applicant is also considered qualified.
“ In my experience the easiest articles to attract to are in Civil Engineering, because they are generally design business and have a lot of on and off base software, or security forces, ” Viau said.
Despite difficult recruiting times, simply the Marine Corps and the Air National Guard met or exceeded their interviewing goals, according to a January 2023 Department of Defense media release.
“Bonus Incentives- Having the option of giving out bonuses from$ 50,000 for National Bonuses and$ 25,000 for Local Bonuses greatly assisted us with closing enlistments, ” said Chudoba. “We’ve even changed our marketing techniques, focusing on new areas and communication and long-term return on investment. ”
The 107th Recruiting Team remains optimistic they may keep their momentum into 2025.
“The crew is energized, and light focused on exceeding 2024’s efforts”, said Lt. Col. Kiley Hand , 107th Force Support Squadron captain.
“We were able to gain an additional$ 88,000 this year to upgrading and outfitting our trailer, we’re all excited show it off, ” Viau added.
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