News

Air Force Reserve enlistment ceremony marks banner recruiting year

  • Published
  • 446th Airlift Wing
To mark a banner recruiting year in the just-closed Fiscal Year ‘05, Air Force Reserve recruiters will host an enlistment ceremony for around 10 people at Seattle’s Space Needle at 1 p.m. Oct. 5. 

The ceremony is part of a nationwide project initiated by the Air Force Reserve Command. Each of the command’s 41 wings organized enlistment ceremonies to mark a successful year of recruiting for the Air Force Reserve. The 446th Airlift Wing’s 2,300 men and women support global C-17 airlift operations. 

The recruiters, headquartered with the 446th Airlift Wing, made their enlistment goal at the end of July. They finished with 121 percent of their goal Sept. 30. They are looking forward to the new fiscal year as even more successful. 

“With the restructuring of units in this region, we have a lot of interest from people who want to join the Air Force Reserve,” said Senior Master Sgt. John Roberts, the senior Air Force Reserve recruiter here. “We expect the 446th Airlift Wing manning to reach 100 percent this fiscal year. In fact, we anticipate to be recruiting off of waiting lists.” 

The reasons for enlisting are unique to each individual. Senior Master Sgt. Roberts was told “because it is a better way of life,” when he asked one of the recruits enlisting tomorrow why he wanted to be an Air Force Reservist. 

Swearing in the recruits Wednesday will be Brig. Gen. Harold “Mitch” Mitchell, currently the Reserve advisor to the commander of 18th Air Force, responsible for all the global airlift and tanker operations in the Air Force. He is also the former vice commander of the 446th Airlift Wing. As a civilian, General Mitchell is a senior pilot with Alaska Airlines.