Call-to-service enlistee swears in

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The first person to enlist under the National Call to Service program swore in Oct. 1 during a ceremony at the Military Entrance Processing Station in San Antonio.

Brig. Gen. Edward A. Rice Jr., Air Force Recruiting Service commander, administered the oath of enlistment to Hector Barreto from Ingleside, Texas. Barreto is the first person to take advantage of the Air Force’s 15-month active-duty enlistment.

“This is a very important day for both Hector and the United States Air Force,” Rice said. “Hector is joining 37,000 people who will ‘cross into the blue’ this year by enlisting in the Air Force. He is making the Air Force stronger, and he is providing himself with the opportunity to do many good things.”

“I’m glad I am now in the Air Force,” Barreto said. “I’m a little nervous, but this is exciting -- I’m looking forward to going to basic training. I think I have made a good choice.”

Barreto will be trained in the security forces career field.

National Call to Service is a congressionally mandated program passed as part of the 2003 National Defense Authorization Act. The program’s enlistees comprise 1 percent of the Air Force fiscal 2004 goal of 37,000 enlisted accessions. They incur the same eight-year military service obligation as traditional four- and six-year enlistees.

“This program gives folks a chance to serve who normally wouldn’t because of longer enlistment terms,” Rice said. “We’re excited about this program because some people, after seeing Air Force benefits, will decide to extend on active duty beyond their 15-month enlistment. Those that leave at the end of their term will carry their service with them and become natural ambassadors in their communities.”

The 15-month active-duty enlistment period begins after the completion of basic and technical training. The initial enlistment is followed by either a 24-month active-duty extension or selected regular Reserve duty. The recruit chooses how he or she spends the remainder of the military service obligation -- active duty, selective regular Reserve, inactive Ready Reserve or other national service programs designated by the secretary of defense.

The recruits will serve in one of 29 career specialties and receive one of three incentives that include a $5,000 bonus, $10,000 in college-loan repayment or education benefits mirroring the Montgomery GI Bill program, officials said.