Recruiters test new hometown shipping program

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Marti Ribeiro
  • Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Air Force Recruiting Service officials here recently began a test program to ship recruits to basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base from their hometowns.

The program, called hometown shipping, aims to eliminate the need for applicants to visit a military entrance processing station a second time.

This AFRS-commander initiative allows recruiters to complete the necessary documents for applicants before going to basic training. Recruits are sworn in with the help of an active-duty or retired officer in the local area, or if none are available, are sworn in via teleconference with the nearest recruiting squadron’s operations officer. Then either the recruiter or the recruit’s family can take the newly sworn-in trainee to the airport to see him or her off.

“We’ve had great feedback from the field on this program,” said Master Sgt. James Chenaille, chief of enlisted standards at AFRS headquarters.

Some families are far away from the closest processing station and are unable to go with the recruit when he or she swears onto active duty and leaves for basic training, Sergeant Chenaille said.

“Right now we’re testing the program in three locations: Lubbock, Texas; Las Vegas; and Billings, Mont.,” he said. “We want a variety of environments to test this program. We chose Montana, which is pretty remote, and Las Vegas, which is the exact opposite.”

Even though Las Vegas is a heavily populated area, the closest processing station is an hour away by airplane.

“This program lets applicants spend their last night at home with their friends and family,” said Master Sgt. Timothy Hanko, a 368th Recruiting Squadron enlisted accessions recruiter in Las Vegas. “Applicants and their families love it.”

Sergeant Hanko said he also likes the ability to see the applicant’s progression from beginning to end.

“Now we get to see them off to BMT. It’s pretty rewarding,” he said.

Besides the opportunity it provides families and recruiters, the program also saves the Air Force money, Sergeant Chenaille said. The program eliminates additional transportation and lodging costs incurred during an applicant’s second visit to the processing station.

The results of the test program will be available in spring 2006, officials said.