Air Force officials honor top recruiters for 2008

  • Published
  • By Christa D'Andrea
  • Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  Fourteen Air Force recruiters were named tops in their field for fiscal 2008 by Air Force Recruiting Service officials here in December.

Operation Blue Suit program recognizes the best recruiters worldwide for their efforts in recruiting a diverse, high-quality volunteer force to fill career fields critical to the Air Force in accomplishing its missions. 

The program selects the best from nearly 1,200 Air Force recruiters worldwide. Winners are nominated by their recruiting groups and selected based on their performance in meeting assigned recruiting goals, leadership qualities and other professional traits.

The Air Force Blue Suit recruiters for 2008 are:
-- Master Sgt. Michael Kovach of the 333rd Recruiting Squadron at Melbourne, Fla.
-- Master Sgt. William Malcolm of the 367th RCS at Colorado Springs, Colo.
-- Master Sgt. Kimberly McBride of the 319th RCS at Burlington, Mass.
-- Tech. Sgt. Raymond Archambo of the 347th RCS at Bloomington, Ill.
-- Tech. Sgt. David Gongora of the 317th RCS at Norfolk, Va.
-- Tech. Sgt. Paul Lindsey of the 338th RCS at Columbus, Ohio
-- Tech. Sgt. Michael Mehl of the 337th RCS at Fayetteville, N.C.
-- Tech. Sgt. Mark Terry of the 343rd RCS at Manhattan, Kan.
-- Staff Sgt. Nicholaus Abramow of the 362nd RCS at El Cajon, Calif.
-- Staff Sgt. Eric Bond of the 364th RCS at Fairfield, Calif.
-- Staff Sgt. Eva Haselhoff of the 367th RCS at El Paso, Texas
-- Staff Sgt. Alpha Tyler of the 333rd RCS at Melbourne, Fla.
-- Staff Sgt. Kevin Vettorel of the 345th RCS at Springfield, Ill.
-- Staff Sgt. Jacob Watson of the 339th RCS at Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.

Air Force Recruiting Service met its enlistment goal for the ninth-consecutive year in 2008, bringing in 27,765 new Airmen against an accessions goal of 27,760. Air Force officials are still hiring and will seek to fill more than 140 enlisted career specialty areas with 31,780 new Airmen in 2009, an increase of 4,000 accessions from fiscal 2008.

Air Force Recruiting Service officials will recognize Blue Suit winners and their spouses Feb. 23 through 27 in San Antonio. 

"We have a critical mission and a tremendous responsibility to this nation - to sustain the combat capability of America's Air Force. There is no other source of bringing in America's best and brightest youth into our great Air Force other than our recruiters," said Brig. Gen. Alfred J. Stewart, the AFRS commander. "These 14 outstanding recruiters represent the 'best of the best' within our all voluntary recruiting force. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty and they have raised the bar for others to follow suit."

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

View the comments/letters page