Airforce.com: Online link to 'Cross into the Blue'

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey
  • Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  For seven years, the official Air Force recruiting Web site has provided the public information on officer and enlisted careers as well as benefits the Air Force offers.

Monday through Friday six decorated, retired recruiters man airforce.com chat lines, each managing up to seven chats at a time and answering hundreds of questions submitted daily by people worldwide.

The site's primary mission is to help qualified prospects get in contact with their local recruiters.

Most people visit airforce.com before visiting an Air Force recruiter's office, which is not surprising to the site's online adviser team that answer an average of 700 chats daily, said Master Sgt. Deshan Woods, the site's administrator. On Jan. 9, 2006, the team set the office record number of chat sessions managed in one day by fielding 807 conversations.

"To do this job, you have to be a master of multi-tasking and know your stuff," said Max Sellers, AFRS online adviser.

Through 2006, the site received more visits daily than it ever has. The online adviser team answered 4,000 questions per week -- four times the number of questions it answered in 2004.

"Today's kids are smart -- they look up everything," said Don Codrington, an online adviser. "We can help them validate information."

Confirming facts and sharing straight-forward advice is the team's forte, and it helps that the chat line office is in the heart of recruiting headquarters.

"We get recruiting policy updates hot off the press here," Mr. Codrington said. "And, if we have a question, the standards offices are just a walk down the hall."

The fact that the team is stacked with successful former Air Force recruiters also offers current recruiters a source for guidance. All totaled, the team's six members have 63 years of enlisted, officer and health professions recruiting experience. To their credit, the team sports more than 27 recruiting awards, recognizing professionalism in the field.

One of the toughest challenges of managing the Air Force recruiting site is keeping up with the changes, said Sergeant Woods.

In addition to the live chat line, airforce.com features a popular Recruiter Locator link on which people can find addresses and contact information for recruiters in their local area.

Visitors to airforce.com come from all walks of life. It is not unusual for an online adviser to manage chats with a Nigerian citizen asking what he needs to do to qualify for enlistment, a high school senior researching career options and a doctor inquiring about health professional qualification standards.

"Civilians, prior-service members, Delayed Entry Program members, it doesn't matter. We love speaking with anyone about the Air Force," said online adviser Tim O'Neal.

"It sounds corny, but we're here because recruiting is in our hearts, and we love the Air Force," Mr. Codrington said.

Other Air Force recruiting-related sites include www.dosomethingamazing.com and www.whatamigonnadonext.com.

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