Recruiting Top Airmen Priority No.1

[unhappycamper]

Recruiting Top Airmen Priority No.1
Air Force Print News | October 12, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Despite an increasingly challenging recruiting environment, the Air Force reached its 2007 enlisted recruiting goals by 100 percent, bringing in 27,801 new Airmen during the past fiscal year.

"The Air Force maintains high standards for recruits in (regard to) aptitude, medical (condition) and personal conduct," said Brig. Gen. Suzanne M. Vautrinot, commander of Air Force Recruiting Service. "Nearly 99 percent of the enlisted force has a high school diploma, and 78.6 percent scored above average on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test."

Air Force recruiting faces some challenges, but it will not compromise the quality of Airmen recruited into the Air Force, General Vautrinot added.

"(Recruiting) is not easy in today's environment," General Vautrinot said during her visit to the Pentagon Oct. 9. "Right now, our economy is strong, unemployment is low and quality people have many options besides military service. As a result, the likelihood that 16- to 24-year-olds will consider military service, as well as the likelihood that major influencers such as family members, teachers or coaches will encourage military service have decreased."

Additionally, due to Air Force-wide cuts in manpower, the number of recruiters has decreased significantly over the past five years and will continue to draw down in the coming year, she said.

As of Oct. 1, the Air Force had already achieved 35 percent of its 2008 recruiting goal of 28,700 Airmen. General Vautrinot attributes this success to the recruiters.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,152561,00.html

[midnight]

1. I think right off the start that recruitment hinging from that word

Airmen is a bit old fashioned isn't? I wonder how many of the recurits they have for their quota for 2008 is women? The air force does recruit women? Maybe Airpersonel would be more inclusive.

[NYVet]

2. The traditional rank for Air Force lower enlisted (E-1, E-2) is Airman.

Just like in the Navy it is seaman, and the army and Marines use Private.

I have not yet met anyone in the military who was offended by the use of that title.