Photo By Staff Sgt. Julio Olivencia Jr | Senior Airman Terrance Clyburn who swore in asa member of the New York Air National...... read more read more
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STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. (Oct. 20, 2016) – A hard-charging recruiting team and a unit culture that keeps Airmen reenlisting, resulted in the 105th Airlift Wing exceeding its recruiting goal by 2.7 percent in Fiscal 2016, according to Master Sgt. John Sileno, the wings recruiting superintendent.
The recruiters’ efforts enabled the wing to close out the 2016 fiscal year at 104.7 percent manning on Sept. 30.
That is above their goal of 102 percent manning, meaning 2 percent above the amount of dedicated slots available—to account for annual attrition.
The base is authorized 1,322 Airmen, but currently has 1,381 Airmen assigned.
Sileno said Air National Guard bases typically hover in the 90 percent range for manning.
“That’s unheard of,” Sileno said. “I never thought we’d get this high.”
Four years ago the wing was at 92 percent manning and had an attrition rate as high as 12 percent. Today the attrition rate is 8 percent, below the 10-percent standard set by the National Guard Bureau.
Sileno said the success is the result of a great recruiting team and a culture on the base that keeps people serving.
“So, you combine the experience of a hard charging recruiting team along with great retention for the base and you’re going to get the results of 104 percent,” Sileno said.
There are some challenges that come along with being overmanned, Sileno said. It makes it difficult for Airmen who want to switch career fields to do so and it means there’s a waiting list for people trying to enlist, he explained.
“The recruiters are still processing [new recruits], interviewing them, qualifying them, bringing them to [the Military Entrance Processing Station] and telling them ‘we’ll call you when something pops up,’” Sileno said. “It could be a month or it could be a year, depending.”
Senior Airman Terrance Clyburn, was one of those who had to wait a couple of months before joining the 105th because strength is so high.
Clyburn spent his formative years in Newburgh, but said he didn’t know much about Stewart Air National Guard Base until he stopped in one day on the off chance he might be able to use a government computer.
Clyburn, an Air Force Reserve photojournalist at the time, came across the recruiting office and after a brief conversation, they pointed him in the direction of a computer he could use.
“I came back over to thank them and they told me I might be able to get a position over here, so I wouldn’t have to make that two and a half hour commute,” Clyburn said.
Clyburn had been traveling to New Jersey for his drill weekends. He was unaware at the time he enlisted that the Air National Guard was an option.
Clyburn enlisted as photojournalist in the New York Air National Guard on Sept. 30, closing out the fiscal year and helping the wing hit the 104.7 mark.
Clyburn counts himself lucky to have found a new home at the 105th Airlift Wing.
“I’ve basically been raised up here, so I get to stay in the same environment,” Clyburn said. “For my own satisfaction, I get to give back to my own community.”
| Date Taken: | 11.01.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 11.01.2016 10:03 |
| Story ID: | 213434 |
| Location: | NEWBURGH, NY, US |
| Hometown: | NEWBURGH, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 462 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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