New Airmen 'do something amazing' in the snow

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Douglas E. Stropes
  • 342nd Recruiting Squadron commander
SHAKOPEE, Minn. (AFPN) --  Thirty-four new Airmen joined the Air Force Jan. 12 at a World PowerSport Association Snowmobile Tour event in Shakopee, Minn.

More than 25,000 fans at the Air Force Canterbury SnoCross event witnessed the young adults take the Air Force oath of enlistment for the first time, led by Brig. Gen. Suzanne Vautrinot, Air Force Recruiting Service commander and grand marshal for the event.

Throughout the day, event directors, team owners, athletes and spectators treated the Air Force's newest recruits as heroes by giving high-fives, tours of the pit area, and the chance to test out the latest snowmobile technology on a fabricated track. The recruits later shared refreshments with General Vautrinot and asked her questions about the Air Force.

Shakopee was the second leg of an eight-stop snowmobile tour with the Air Force sponsoring the Scheuring racing team and its two drivers, as well as carrying the role of title sponsor for this stop of the tour.

SnoCross is a popular form of snowmobile racing featuring a short-track with tight turns, banked corners and a variety of bumps on which racers catch "big air" in full view of spectators.

Many Air Force recruiters were on hand throughout the day to share information about Air Force opportunities with race fans.

High-energy events, such as SnoCross, Monster Jam and NASCAR races, provide the Air Force a venue to talk up Air Force careers with patriotic men and women looking for high-tech jobs, seeking adventure and wanting to do something more with their lives.

General Vautrinot thanked the local community, event organizers and race team members for their support of the military. She saved her final praise for the Delayed Entry Program members for making the decision to "Do Something Amazing" by joining the Air Force.

The next stop for the new recruits is basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Once there, they begin their transformation into trained Airmen. They'll continue the evolution toward becoming Airman Warriors upon completion of technical training -- where they will serve in a number of Air Force career specialties, such as: linguists, security forces, survival instructors and loadmasters, to name a few.

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