Recruiters discuss challenges with Senate subcommittee

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Two Air Force recruiting representatives answered questions for members of the Senate Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Personnel Jan. 31.

Senators questioned Air Force Recruiting Service commander Brig. Gen. Suzanne Vautrinot and Master Sgt. Dave White, flight chief for the 341st Recruiting Squadron, about their efforts to bring in new Airmen, goals and benefits they offer, as well as challenges they face.

"As the Air Force transforms to a leaner and more agile force to meet today's global challenges, our recruiters continue to succeed in their primary goal of finding the right people with the right skills at the right time," General Vautrinot said.

The general gave a broad overview of Air Force recruiting amid a panel that included sister service counterparts. She provided an update on current recruiting numbers and issues, noting that "less than 27 percent of Americans qualify for military service."

"The Air Force is well on its way toward meeting its goal for the ninth straight year," General Vautrinot said. "The quality of our recruits remains significantly above Department of Defense benchmarks in all primary indicators, consistent with the high Air Force standards of the last two decades. Furthermore, 91 percent of our recruits enter without requiring a waiver for conduct, drug or criminal issues."

The subcommittee was also interested in efforts to recruit medical professionals into the services, a continuing challenge for all services. Sergeant White, a health professions recruiting flight chief in Houston, answered the subcommittee's questions on what legislators could do to help.

"We could use some help with our scroll process," Sergeant White said. "Medical professionals often have to wait six to nine months for approval to enter the Air Force. A lot of that could be reduced with your help."

The senators expressed their willingness to help and said they would work with the Air Force to improve the process for allowing physicians, dentists, nurses and other medical professionals into the service.

The subcommittee also asked about recruiting practices and offers. All of the services touted the educational benefits and access to the Montgomery G.I. Bill, as well as tuition assistance. General Vautrinot, however, informed the senators of the Air Force's Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative program offered through Air University.

"Every Airman is automatically a college student -- enrolled in the Community College of the Air Force -- as soon as they come in," General Vautrinot said. "Further, once they've earned their CCAF associate's degree, 12 clicks of a mouse and they're automatically a junior in college through the ABC program."

The panel members said they were very impressed with the recruiters' efforts to bring new servicemembers into the armed forces. General Vautrinot, Sergeant White and the other witnesses expressed their thanks for the support of legislators and the opportunity to speak with them.

"Well-qualified young men and women keep on serving -- a testament to the tremendous quality of our countrymen, our Air Force and our all-volunteer recruiters," General Vautrinot said. "We recruit the brightest candidates possible, and then provide them with tough, highly technical training that gives them the right skills to sustain the combat capability of America's Air Force."

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