137th Force Support Squadron adds distinguished graduate to recruiting team

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Justin M. Creech
  • 137th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
WILL ROGERS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Okla --  The 137th Air Refueling Wing Force Support Squadron recently added a new recruiter to their team.

Senior Airman Dezire Suter, 137 ARW production recruiter, graduated from the Air National Guard recruiting school at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, on May 12. Suter was honored as the distinguished graduate.

"I was happy to learn I was being recognized as a distinguished graduate," said Suter. "I felt like I put in 110 percent so it was nice to see that my effort was rewarded."

Graduating the course in such high regard is impressive considering Suter was the youngest and lowest ranking Airman in the course, said Senior Master Sgt. Chad Pearce, 137 ARW recruiting retention supervisor.

"The rank range in the course was E-4 (Senior Airman) to E-7 (Master Sgt.)," said Pearce. "So, for her to be the distinguished graduate is a big deal."

Airmen interested in recruiting must apply for an open position and then go through an evaluation process, which includes a face to face interview with the recruiting office before being selected. The factors that contributed to Suter becoming the distinguished graduate included her time management skills, ability to take initiative and calm demeanor under pressure. Those character traits were recognized during her interview, said Master Sgt. Lucus Dekinder, 137 ARW retention office supervisor.

"There are normal questions we ask, and we throw in a few curveballs we know they won't know the answer to," said Dekinder. "She remained even keel and didn't get too excited when she wasn't sure of an answer."

The six-week course consisted of sales training, speeches and multiple-choice tests that teach recruiters how to gauge a potential recruit's motivation for joining the military and their compatibility with Air Force jobs.

Suter enlisted in the ANG on Jan. 8, 2009. Learning about why a person wants to enlist and how the Guard can meet those needs is one reason Suter is excited about becoming a recruiter.

"When I joined the Air Guard it changed my life," said Suter. "I was able to go to college, which allowed me to meet a lot of people and form great friendships. I want everyone else to see how you can use it as a positive tool in your life."

For more information on joining the Oklahoma Air National Guard, contact the recruiting office at 405-686-0225 or call the ANG hotline at 1-800-864-6264.