An official website of the United States government         Here's how you know         
**Official websites use .mil**
A **.mil** website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
**Secure .mil websites use HTTPS**
 A **lock (lock )** or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Skip to main content (Press Enter).

National GuardAlways Ready Always There

National Guard

                - 

Search

Search
Search

-  Home		 
-  News    -  Guard News         
  -  Overseas Operations         
  -  State Partnership Program         
  -  News Features         
  -  RSS Feeds         
  -  Press Releases         
  -  Transcripts 
-  Features    -  Features by Year         
  -  Posture Statement         
  -  State Partnership Program         
  -  Special Features 
-  About the Guard    -  How We Began         
  -  Air National Guard         
  -  Army National Guard      -  DEERS Soldier Journey         
    -  Leader Development Program 
  -  History and Heritage         
  -  I am the Guard         
  -  NGB Official March 
-  Leadership    -  CNGB         
  -  VCNGB         
  -  SEA         
  -  DANG         
  -  DARNG         
  -  Joint Staff      -  J-1         
    -  J-2         
    -  J-3         
    -  J-4         
    -  J-5         
    -  J-6         
    -  J-7         
    -  J-8         
    -  Personal Staff        -  Inspector General         
      -  General Counsel          -  Special Victims Counsel 
      -  Public Affairs         
      -  Executive Support Services         
      -  Legislative Liaison 
    -  Special Staff        -  Office of the Provost Marshal         
      -  Office of the Joint Surgeon         
      -  Director of Acquisitions         
      -  Small Business Programs         
      -  Chaplain         
      -  Senior Leader Management Office         
      -  Diversity Equity Inclusion 
    -  Comptroller 
-  Resources    -  National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance         
  -  Community Engagement         
  -  FOIA         
  -  Fact Sheets         
  -  Helpful Links         
  -  Image Gallery      -  News Images         
    -  Graphics         
    -  Historical Paintings 
  -  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion         
  -  Legislative Liaison         
  -  Small Business Programs         
  -  Social Media         
  -  State Websites         
  -  Videos      -  Featured Videos         
    -  On Every Front         
    -  2019 Videos         
    -  2020 Videos         
    -  2021 Videos 
  -  Suicide Prevention         
  -  Family Programs         
  -  Environmental         
  -  Trial Defense Service         
  -  Holistic Wellness Challenge 
-  Contact Us		 

Home : News : Article View

PHOTO INFORMATION

** Download

** Details

** Share

# ANG recruiters, retainers celebrate the best of times

By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith National Guard Bureau

DALLAS - The Air National Guard's top recruiters were celebratedfor their accomplishments here last night after what many described as atough, but landmark recruiting year in 2009.

The formal awards banquet was held on the first day of the Air Guard'sannual Recruiting and Retention Training Workshop this week. The winnerswere:

Recruiting and Retention Superintendent of the Year Senior Master Sgt.Connie M. Bacik, Headquarters, Wisconsin

Recruiting Office Supervisor of the Year Master Sgt. Loren M. Bell, 146thAirlift Wing, California

Production Recruiter of the YearTech. Sgt. Jeremee H. Tate, 146th Airlift Wing, California

Recruiting/Retention Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Master Sgt. Gary D.Dowling, 103rd Air Communications Squadron, Connecticut

Rookie Recruiter of the YearTech. Sgt. Eric D. Martin, 188th Fighter Wing, Arkansas

Retention Office Manager of the YearMaster Sgt. Roselina B. Weldon, 154th Wing, Hawaii

Rookie Retention Office Manager of the Year Tech. Sgt. Paul F. Havran, 132ndFighter Wing, Iowa

Unit Career Advisor of the YearMaster Sgt. Terri L. Rogers, 142nd Fighter Wing, Oregon

"I cannot thank you all enough for the tremendous work that you do each andevery day," said Col. Mary Salcido, director of Air Guard Recruiting andRetention. "I feel a great passion for the outstanding people in recruitingand retention."

They are celebrating, because the Air Guard's recruiters and retainers areon a two-year win streak with back-to-back fiscal year end-strength goalsexceeded. It's a dramatic turnaround from years of missed goals.

In January, the Air Guard reported its monthly accession goal of 470 Airmenwas exceeded with a total of 563 Airmen, or 120 percent. In December, it was154 percent.

The numbers are proof of their success, but challenges remain in officerrecruiting and in filling technical vacancies and the health professions.

But Salcido told the crowd that she is extremely confident that they wouldexcel.

"We set our goal this year . battlefield weather was our hard-to-fill, andwe filled them, just like that," said Tech. Sgt. Jeremee H. Tate, therecruiter of the year, who brought in101 people in 2009, which is nearly double the yearly work of one recruiter.

"I recruited 70 people the year before, and then I stepped it up," he said,smiling.

Tate admitted that the economy may have played a part in some of thesuccess, because he did see bigger crowds at the job fairs. "But I wouldlike to say that it's also the hard work that we did," he said.

In the last year, Tate's wing went from 89 percent manned to 106 percentmanned.

But it's not just about numbers and percentages and goals. It's aboutpeople. Tate said his job is not complete until he follows each newindividual through their initial training.

"We're the first people they see when they get back [from training], and Iget to see that transition from civilian to Airman, and that's cool," hesaid. "Then, I actually see them working, supporting and functioning in theunit, and that's cool too."

Senior Master Sgt. Connie M. Bacik of the Wisconsin Air National Guardagrees. She spent most of her military career as a recruiter - her firstrecruiting position was in 1994.

"I love being able to help people achieve their goals," she said just beforethe award ceremony.

"I've brought people in as cooks and seen them become pilots . I didn't justput somebody in, I got them in the right place and helped them get to theirfuture . my feeling is that we recruit somebody for 20 years, not theirfirst term."

In fact, three of the Air Guard recruiters in her state were recruited byher.

Bacik climbed her way up the recruiting and retention ladder to the state'stop recruiting position. As a superintendent, she advises and supports twoAir Guard flying wings and a geographically separated unit and coordinatesand communicates with the National Guard Bureau.

She credited the success to her team and to her skills as a motivator.

Filling critical vacancies was a big motivator last year, and officials saidBacik focused her team to fill them. The Wisconsin Air Guard also suddenlyfound itself in need of 100 maintenance Airmen for a new mission.

Her recruiting team met those challenges, she said. Recruiters from outsidethe unit helped fill those maintenance positions. Then a recruitingcompetition among them brought in 61 new Guardmembers between July andSeptember with 51 of them filling their critically needed vacancies.

"My team is fantastic . I have a great team," she said.

Now, with vacancies and technical schools filling up and even some of thecritical vacancies filling, Bacik said a growing concern is that she canonly put people where there are actual positions.

Another concern is the wait times for technical schools. Some new recruitstire of waiting for a school and cross over to the other services.

"It's really against my grain to turn away qualified people," Bacik said."But we have been there before, and we will get through it."

**                    SHARE                

**                    PRINT