Recruiter returns to St. Louis area to make a difference
By Senior Airman Amber R. Kelly-Herard, 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
/ Published October 06, 2010
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Air Force Recruiters like Tech. Sgt. Robyn Williams, 345th Recruiting Squadron, have unique opportunities to serve their country and bring new people into the military.
"This is the biggest opportunity I have to change the lives of a kid and transition them," said Sergeant Williams. "It's challenging, but when they come back in uniform and stand tall and you see they understand the importance of what it means to be an Airman, it's great."
Sergeant Williams started out in hospital administration and then she worked in supply, but she always knew she wanted to be a recruiter.
"I'm from the St. Louis area, and I have so many friends who settled for mediocrity, so I always said I was going to come back one day to effect change in the lives of people from around here," said Sergeant Williams.
The first step in becoming a recruiter was attending Recruiter School at Lackland AFB, Texas.
"The school was so challenging," she said. "There's so much information they give you so you can understand the needs of your applicants."
After attending Recruiter School, Sergeant Williams came to work in the Butler Hill zone of St. Louis which covers 100 square miles including 22 high schools and two community colleges.
In the last fiscal year, Sergeant Williams helped send 39 young adults to Basic Military Training.
Choosing a location is important when applying to be a recruiter. Most recruiters can choose where they want to be stationed, so most try to be near family.
Benefits of being a recruiter include: a three-year, controlled tour; receipt of special duty assignment pay; and when testing for promotion, recruiters are only tested on the Professional Development Guide.
Recruiters can serve up to seven years without their Air Force Specialty Code changing. After that, recruiting becomes their permanent AFSC. Seasoned recruiters can go on to recruit for specific jobs or work at the command centers.
To be eligible to be a recruiter, applicants should be in the ranks of senior airman through master sergeant with 17 years or less time in service. They should also have outstanding military appearance, military bearing, conduct and past performance.
For more information, contact Scott's career assistance advisor, Master Sgt. Scott Greene at 256-5296.