For most of the 24,000 young people who enlist each year, their Air Force careers begin with a tentative conversation with a recruiter.
And that recruiter — welcoming, looking sharp in Air Force blues — can change the course of someone's life.
But the job takes more than making a good first impression. Getting teenagers to sign on the dotted line — so to speak, it's all done electronically with biometric fingerprints these days — requires finesse, strategy and a little bit of psychology, recruiters said in interviews with Air Force Times.
"We have a marketing plan," said Chief Master Sgt. Wade Trahan of the Air Force Recruiting Service at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in Texas, who has been in recruiting for 18 years. "Everything from telephone prospecting to lead generation to school presentations, so [recruiters are] consistently engaging their audience on a daily basis. We know exactly what's going on in these areas, the demographics that we have, some of the local events. All this funnels to getting a qualified applicant pool that they can sit down with and be that mentor to that person, and that counselor, and direct them in the right direction — whether or not it's to the Air Force."
Also see:Recruiters on recruits; 'They're like your troops'
In many ways, the job today is unchanged from the traditional in-person recruiting of old. But a new generation of recruits and technology presents both challenges and opportunities. Here are 10 tactics that recruiters said help them succeed.
1. Know your community. In interviews with seven recruiters, many stressed the importance of learning the ins and outs of his target community. Not only will it help a recruiter discover which are the most fertile grounds for finding the best recruiting candidates, they said, it will help them tailor their strategies to their town.
"What works out here in Dallas may not work out there in Duluth," said Technical Sgt. Andria McGuire, a recruiter with the 344th Recruiting Squadron in Dallas. "Being able to adapt to your environment ... is important."
Part of that means figuring out which events young people go to. Tech Sgt. Michael Bach, a flight chief at the 337th Recruiting Squadron who is in Charlotte, North Carolina, said recruiters there target professional sporting events, such as Charlotte Hornets or Carolina Hurricanes games or NASCAR races.
But Tech Sgt. Travis Layman, a recruiter with the 343rd Recruiting Squadron who works in Duluth, Minnesota, said he focuses his recruiting efforts on his community's outdoors interests. In the frigid Duluth winters, he shows up at frozen lakes to talk to people practicing hockey or ice fishing, and in the summer, he may reach out to backpackers or bicyclists.
"We try to get out, as much as we can, onto the ice," Layman said.
McGuire said her squadron holds annual swearing-in ceremonies at Texas Rangers games. For example, on the Fourth of July in 2013, 168 new recruits lined up in jeans and Air Force t-shirts on the first and third baselines at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, and took their oath of enlistment in front of thousands of spectators. Not only do such public events give the recruits a moment in the spotlight, but they also make the Air Force visible to some people in the audience who may start thinking about enlisting.
And learning about the trends in college attendance in an area can help a recruiter figure out where he or she is most likely to find a potential applicant.
For example, Layman said, many high school students in Duluth already have scholarships or plans to attend one of the four major colleges in the immediate area, he said. So in addition to going to high schools, he talks to students attending the dozen or so two-year community colleges or vocational schools around Duluth.
Those students have matured a little bit, he said, and realized that college can be expensive and difficult. As a result, they're often interested to hear more about how the Air Force can help them continue their education.
"They're more apt to be receptive to what I have to say, as far as, 'Hey, you can get experience to go with that degree,'" Layman said. "They realize now that experience is key, so if they can get college and experience, then it's going to make them a more valuable asset going into the job market. And we can provide that to them."
2. Become part of the community. Bach said visiting high schools is a must, so recruiters can talk to soon-to-graduate seniors as well as juniors about to become seniors.
But building strong relationships with teachers, guidance counselors and other school officials is the key to getting into classrooms, he said.
Another recruiter — a tech sergeant who asked that his name not be printed — said helping teachers and other school staff goes a long way to opening doors.
"I'd bring teachers doughnuts sometimes, and set them up in the conference room," he said. "I wouldn't even be [recruiting] at the school that day. I'd drop it off, and go next time and they're all more accepting of you."
The tech sergeant also said he would help school staff decorate and set up for parades, dances or other events, serve as a chaperone, or be a proctor during standardized tests — all of which overworked teachers and administrators need help with.
That involvement shows school staff that a recruiter wants to be a member of the community, and breaks down the suspicion some may feel about the military.
"Because you have the uniform, people think you're a robot or something, and they're afraid to talk to you," the tech sergeant said. "But if you show them you're a regular person … they know you're not just there to make numbers. You want to help students, or help them help students. Then, they'll send kids your way."
The tech sergeant also gets to know the local DJs and radio station managers and does on-air interviews about what an Air Force career can mean for young people. And while he's there, he goes into their recording booth and cuts a public service announcement they can play during commercial breaks.
3. Listen to their needs. Sometimes the most important thing a recruiter can do is simply start a conversation and then actively listen to what students want out of life.
But it's important not to hound potential applicants, Layman said, or as it is sometimes called, not to be "recruiting hungry." Instead, he said, allow teens to open up on their own.
"If you just sit back and let them do the talking, they tell you everything that they want [and] need," Layman said. "And eventually, you lead them down the path to realize themselves, 'Hey, this is the best thing for me.' Active listening is the key."
Bach said the conversation could push some potential applicants to realize for the first time that something is missing. For example, Bach said, a 25-year-old still living at home could find a conversation with a recruiter is the nudge he needs to make an overdue change in his life.
"Every applicant joins for their own set of reasons," Bach said. "It's the recruiter that starts the conversation and guides the conversation to uncover those interests of these applicants, and then they can tailor that conversation to what's going to benefit that applicant the best."
Some may say they're hoping to go to college, but aren't sure how they can afford it, Bach said. Other potential recruits could talk about their dreams of traveling around the world.
"And the conversation could steer toward, 'Hey, did you know the Air Force can pay for your college,'" Bach said.
4. Listen to their fears. Potential applicants sometimes have picked up misconceptions about military life that leave them reluctant to consider signing up. Recruiters must identify mistaken impressions and then dispel them.
For example, recruiters said, sometimes potential recruits think they'll have to jump out of airplanes if they join. And if that idea terrifies them, it can be a deal-breaker. But sometimes, they don't speak up, so the recruiter has to keep them talking and draw such worries out of them.
"'I'm scared of flying' — I've heard that a couple of different times," Layman said. "A lot of people don't realize that it's like 10 percent can even qualify for flight that are active-duty Air Force. So it's not a very big percentage that actually do stuff, as far as air crews."
McGuire said she's even heard recruits say they can't join the Air Force because they're afraid of heights, not realizing that there are thousands of other jobs they can do that leave them safe on the ground.
5. Keep recruits motivated. After recruits decide to join the Air Force, they enter the Delayed Entry Program and sometimes have to wait a few months before shipping out for basic training. Until that day, they can back out. So recruiters try to find ways to keep so-called DEPers engaged and motivated.
A retired master sergeant recruiter, who asked that his name not be used, said he used to set up bowling parties, pizza parties, cookouts and trips to the local Air Force base for his DEPers.
And those social events helped him find more potential recruits. He would encourage DEPers to spread the word and invite their friends — and sometimes, those friends would start to think about signing up.
"It's showing them the fun side of being in the Air Force, the family side," he said. "If they're in high school, they can talk to their friends. 'Hey, I'm joining the Air Force.' 'Hey, that sounds cool.' Or, 'We're having a bowling party, bring a friend.' "
6. Use social media. The explosion of social media over the past decade hasn't meant the end of traditional in-person recruiting — but it has opened up new avenues for Air Force recruiters to get their message out.
The Air Force Recruiting Service has a Facebook page with nearly 570,000 followers, as well as Facebook pages for recruiters at the grassroots level, to teach people more about the Air Force and the opportunities it provides.
The Facebook pages for local recruiters are a good way to keep recruits inspired and committed as they go through the Delayed Entry Program and await their departure for basic training, spokeswoman Christa D'Andrea said. The pages are also a good way to connect potential applicants with recruiters, she said.
The Air Force also holds monthly chats on Twitter and Facebook to answer questions about career fields or recruiters, she said.
McGuire said she watches the Facebook pages of local high schools and colleges for discussions about things like career options, and will post there about what benefits and opportunities the Air Force can provide.
"A lot of times, these individuals don't realize the specifics of what the Air Force has to offer, and a lot of the time they see my post and contact me," McGuire said.
Layman said he usually posts pictures of his new recruits swearing in on his Facebook page, and asks them to share the photos with their friends. This can help encourage their friends to consider joining the Air Force, he said.
"So all of their friends are now congratulating them, and asking them what branch, and getting information from the actual recruits," Layman said. "So that's worked well for me."
7. Manage expectations. Recruiters said it's crucial to be totally transparent with potential applicants about what they should and should not expect from their Air Force careers.
"We're not going to lie to any applicants," McGuire said. "The most important thing is to always be truthful at all times. That's what we're built on, integrity first. So that's why I make sure I'm up front and I'm honest with every single applicant."
That means not filling their heads with visions of "Top Gun" derring-do.
"When the individual tells you, 'I want to be a pilot,' we don't fill false dreams or false hopes," McGuire said. "I let them know the truth and the reality. In order to actually be a pilot, you need a degree. But if that is something you have a passion for, there are avenues to possibly get you in that direction, as far as ... taking advantage of our educational opportunities."
A staff sergeant recruiter, who asked not to be named, said that recruiters who try to fudge some of the less glamorous parts of military life will get caught quickly, and lose credibility.
"My success comes from people telling friends, 'Talk to this guy because he's the most honest,'" he said. "They'll know if you're BSing. Everybody has the Internet. Sometimes, they know more than the recruiter does."
8. Look off the beaten path. Most people, when imagining the next generation of airmen, wouldn't picture the kid hanging out at the comic store, study hall or hobby store. But the staff sergeant said he's had success finding recruits at those kind of places.
"The places I recruit out of, they like to hang out at Magic: The Gathering game card sites," he said. "They're usually more open-minded and like getting information. Look for the smarter, introverted kid. They might be more interested in a military career."
The staff sergeant said he found the best way to build rapport with such introverted kids is to take an interest in what they're interested in. Sometimes that can be history, sometimes it's science, sometimes it's old-school Nintendo games.
"I don't know anything about Magic, but kids that like to learn also like to teach," he said. "When they say, 'Do you know about this?' I say, 'No, but I'd love to learn.'"
And that can have other benefits for the recruiter besides finding a new airman, he said.
"You may even learn a new hobby or two," he said.
9. Keep parents in the loop. It's often not enough to talk to just the potential recruits, recruiters said. An important part of the process can be putting their parents' minds at ease.
"One of the things that I like to do is from Day One, the first appointment, I like to get the parents in here with the applicant," McGuire said. "I want to make sure that they're both on the same page and they both understand the things the Air Force has to offer. And to also answer any questions or concerns that the parents might have. I find that once you talk to that parent starting off, versus later in the process, things tend to go a lot more smoothly."
McGuire recalled one recruit was a few weeks into the process when his parents had some questions, and the recruit wasn't sure how to answer them.
"We know the process ... better than anybody else because we've been through the process," McGuire said. "I immediately set up an appointment to have the parents come in to my office, answered all their questions and concerns, and I basically just reiterated everything I told the applicant from Day One. After talking to the parent, they were good to go."
10. Be friendly. One of the simplest yet most important parts of the job, recruiters said, is to remain friendly and approachable – even if you're having a rough day.
It's simple marketing. And recruiters need to remember that when they're on the job, they're the face of the Air Force, Layman said.
"No one wants to come talk to the grumpy guy," Layman said.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
