What does an Air Force Reserve Recruiter do?

An Air Force Reserve recruiter attempts to recruit qualified individuals into the Air Force Reserve. The Air Force Reserve is a division of the Air Force in which civilians enlist in the Air Force branch of the military on a part-time basis. The Reservists commit to doing a set amount of training — usually several weeks per year — to be prepared to serve their country in the Air Force as necessary. They are then free to return to regular jobs, but may be called into combat situations or into service if it becomes necessary.

One of the major jobs of an Air Force Reserve recruiter is to find individuals who may be interested in joining the Reserve. He may do this in a number of ways, such as talking to local high school or college students or speaking to those who may be looking for jobs. Often, recruiters attend career fairs at high schools or colleges, jobs fairs, or even social events that tend to attract crowds, such as state fairs. There, a table is generally set up with literature regarding the function of the Air Force Reserve and the job of a Reservist and a recruiter speaks to potentially interested people, giving them information.

An Air Force Reserve recruiter also answers questions for those who approach him and express interest. There are recruitment centers for the Air Force and for other branches of the military in most states and local areas. Interested individuals may come to these recruitment centers to learn more about the potential benefits of joining the Reserve. The recruiter then must speak to them to both get them excited about the prospect of joining and to determine whether they may be a qualified candidate.

There are several benefits an Air Force Reserve recruiter can use to encourage people to join. First, he can highlight the fact that such service allows individuals to serve their country without giving up their full-time jobs or enlisting full time. Second, those who join the Reserve are generally paid a salary, provided with valuable work-training experience and may receive other benefits such as forgiveness of educational debt or tuition credits. An Air Force Reserve recruiter will present this information to individuals to help them determine whether joining the Reserve is a good decision for them.