Eleven recruits from the 434th Air Refueling Wing participated in a mass enlistment ceremony at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway May 19, 2019.
As part of the Motor Speedway’s military appreciation week, the enlistment consisted of recruits from all branches of service across the state of Indiana.
“Having a mass enlistment in such a public forum helps the military because it shows how important it is that these young individuals are becoming a part of something bigger than themselves,” said Senior Master Sgt. Tracey Barry, 434th ARW recruiting flight chief. “They joined the world’s greatest military and are our future leaders. We take pride in that.”
During the enlistment, recruits recited the oath of enlistment, an oath taken by all enlisted U.S. military members.
Following the ceremony, recruits from the 434th Air Refueling Wing met with leadership and Grissom recruiters for refreshments and a group photo.
"It was an honor to have [Col. Larry Shaw, 434th ARW commander] and all of my recruiters there for the event, and for them to see their hard work pay off,” said Barry. “They work very hard to find the best of the best for Grissom ARB.
“It means a lot to them when they actually get to see someone that they have been working very closely with for weeks, process through the recruiting requirements and finally see them swear in,” added Barry. “It is a dream come true for some of these young individuals and means a lot to all of us to be a part of that dream come true.”
The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. The Citizen Airmen from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.
Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.