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188th recruiters garner state, regional Air National Guard awards

  • Published
  • By Capt. Heath Allen
  • 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Officer
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  To be the best you have to recruit the best. The 188th Fighter Wing Recruiting and Retention office has helped the Flying Razorbacks bolster their roster with quality personnel.

The 188th recruiters' keen gauge of character and knack at transforming civilian promise into military prowess did not go unnoticed.

The 188th's recruiters garnered multiple honors at the Arkansas Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention State Conference held at Mount Harbor Resort in Mt. Ida, Ark., Oct. 29, 2009.

The 188th recruiting office earned the state award and Southeast Regional accolade for Outstanding Recruiting Office of the Year. Staff Sgt. Jean Jackson, Tech Sgt. Jeff Mathews, Master Sgt. Craig Gardner, Tech Sgt. Eric Martin and Ms. Stephanie Parrish were each honored for their effort at the conference.

The 188th recruiters' collective ability to help civilian members of society amplify their aptitudes in the Air National Guard has existed as a boon to the unit, especially amid a conversion from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthog."

Martin proved his mettle early on as a fierce recruiter of talent, boasting the Rookie Recruiter of the Year at both the state and regional levels.

Gardner, 188th Fighter Wing recruiting office supervisor, earned the state award for Outstanding Recruiting Office Supervisor of the Year. Gardner is also a former Rookie Retention Office Manager of the Year for the entire Air National Guard.

"As a supervisor it gives you great pleasure to see your people succeed," Gardner said. "Through their success you get validation about your job as a supervisor. I am truly proud of the accomplishments of this office and these recruiters."

Brigadier Gen. Riley Porter, Arkansas Air National Guard commander, and Col. Tom Anderson, 188th Fighter Wing commander, were on hand to help distribute the awards.

"This is a great honor for our recruiters and the 188th Fighter Wing," Anderson said. "We know how hard our recruiters work to ensure that the 188th has the personnel necessary to excel at the mission. Our recruiters have distinguished themselves at the state and regional level and we're immensely proud of their achievements."

Martin distinguished himself from the pack by exhibiting "exceptional" service as a production recruiter. Martin was also awarded the Arkansas Exceptional Service Medal and the Arkansas Commendation Medal during the conference.

Martin led the state of Arkansas, exceeding a recruiting goal of 27 by acquiring 65 new Airmen. Gardner said Martin's diligence facilitated a boost in unit strength from 96.1 percent at the end of fiscal year 2008 to 103.2 percent at the conclusion of fiscal year 2009. Gardner said Martin was responsible for approximately 40 percent of the recruiting office's acquisitions for fiscal year 2009.

"For our office to increase unit strength seven percent in one year is unprecedented," Gardner said. "Tech. Sgt. Martin was key in this effort. He continuously found innovative ways to generate leads and accessions. His ability to reach across the other services produced eight new accessions and helped create new opportunities for individuals who needed a new beginning. He's a very valuable asset to this office."

188th recruiters garner state, regional Air National Guard awards

  • Published
  • By Capt. Heath Allen
  • 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Officer
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  To be the best you have to recruit the best. The 188th Fighter Wing Recruiting and Retention office has helped the Flying Razorbacks bolster their roster with quality personnel.

The 188th recruiters' keen gauge of character and knack at transforming civilian promise into military prowess did not go unnoticed.

The 188th's recruiters garnered multiple honors at the Arkansas Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention State Conference held at Mount Harbor Resort in Mt. Ida, Ark., Oct. 29, 2009.

The 188th recruiting office earned the state award and Southeast Regional accolade for Outstanding Recruiting Office of the Year. Staff Sgt. Jean Jackson, Tech Sgt. Jeff Mathews, Master Sgt. Craig Gardner, Tech Sgt. Eric Martin and Ms. Stephanie Parrish were each honored for their effort at the conference.

The 188th recruiters' collective ability to help civilian members of society amplify their aptitudes in the Air National Guard has existed as a boon to the unit, especially amid a conversion from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthog."

Martin proved his mettle early on as a fierce recruiter of talent, boasting the Rookie Recruiter of the Year at both the state and regional levels.

Gardner, 188th Fighter Wing recruiting office supervisor, earned the state award for Outstanding Recruiting Office Supervisor of the Year. Gardner is also a former Rookie Retention Office Manager of the Year for the entire Air National Guard.

"As a supervisor it gives you great pleasure to see your people succeed," Gardner said. "Through their success you get validation about your job as a supervisor. I am truly proud of the accomplishments of this office and these recruiters."

Brigadier Gen. Riley Porter, Arkansas Air National Guard commander, and Col. Tom Anderson, 188th Fighter Wing commander, were on hand to help distribute the awards.

"This is a great honor for our recruiters and the 188th Fighter Wing," Anderson said. "We know how hard our recruiters work to ensure that the 188th has the personnel necessary to excel at the mission. Our recruiters have distinguished themselves at the state and regional level and we're immensely proud of their achievements."

Martin distinguished himself from the pack by exhibiting "exceptional" service as a production recruiter. Martin was also awarded the Arkansas Exceptional Service Medal and the Arkansas Commendation Medal during the conference.

Martin led the state of Arkansas, exceeding a recruiting goal of 27 by acquiring 65 new Airmen. Gardner said Martin's diligence facilitated a boost in unit strength from 96.1 percent at the end of fiscal year 2008 to 103.2 percent at the conclusion of fiscal year 2009. Gardner said Martin was responsible for approximately 40 percent of the recruiting office's acquisitions for fiscal year 2009.

"For our office to increase unit strength seven percent in one year is unprecedented," Gardner said. "Tech. Sgt. Martin was key in this effort. He continuously found innovative ways to generate leads and accessions. His ability to reach across the other services produced eight new accessions and helped create new opportunities for individuals who needed a new beginning. He's a very valuable asset to this office."