ARLINGTON, Va. – The Air National Guard's most successful recruiting year, with nearly 12,000 new members in fiscal year 2025, coincides with a major restructuring of its operations to better support recruiters and adapt to a dynamic environment.
“It all comes down to Wartime Readiness,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Joshua D. Moore, command chief, Air National Guard. “As the combat-ready reserve of the Air Force, we must recruit and retain the best Airmen.”
A central pillar of this success is the new "Recruiting Command Structure," now implemented across all 54 states and territories and 90 wings, said Chief Master Sgt. Michael D. Brooks, the senior enlisted leader for National Guard Bureau, Recruiting and Retention.
The new model, he said, provides dedicated personnel for administration, marketing, and medical processing, freeing up recruiters to “focus on identifying the right talent for the Air Guard.”
“It’s [those] supporting agencies that allow the mission to happen,” said Brooks.
By reducing the burdens on recruiters, accelerating the application timeline, and providing flexibility in resource allocation, he added, the Air Guard is now positioned to achieve greater efficiency in meeting its ambitious recruitment goals.
“Our aim is to be more effective in attracting and retaining top talent,” he said.
Complementing the new command structure, the Air Guard’s recruiting function has been realigned from a personnel directorate to fall directly under the Office of the Director of the Air National Guard.
Brooks said this move is intended to "allow rapid maneuver space to react to changing recruiting environments."
Moore added the change is about empowering the recruiting function to reach new heights.
“[We sought] to emphasize the importance of the recruiting mission while also enabling effective communications with ANG leadership and ensuring appropriate resources are allocated toward recruiting and retaining the best possible warriors,” he said.
Additionally, the Air Guard established a dedicated Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC), titled Talent Acquisitions specialist, for recruiters. The update, which took effect last fiscal year, provides a defined career path for the recruiters, combating the "career stagnation" that was common when recruiting was a temporary special duty assignment, Brooks said.
Air Guard success with recruitment was recently highlighted at the Pentagon, where Secretary of War Pete Hegseth recognized top military recruiters from across the services at the inaugural Recruitment Excellence Forum, Dec. 18.
Among those honored was Tech. Sgt. Brittany Fralick, a talent acquisitions specialist with the 108th Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard.
Receiving the Department of War Recruiting Excellence Award on the eve of her 11-year service anniversary was a "full circle moment," she said.
"Being recognized, appreciated and honored for my efforts – is truly humbling," said Fralick, who racked up nearly 60 enlistments last fiscal year.
She credits the force’s recruiting success to the hard work of all Air Guard recruiters who must "engage” candidates on an ongoing basis.
But Fralick said the most essential quality isn't salesmanship, but genuine care.
“The paperwork–all the technical stuff–that comes in time,” said Fralick, adding that “being authentic, having heart and the will to serve and provide others the opportunity to serve” are the key traits of a solid talent acquisitions specialist.
At the forum, Hegseth praised the recruiters for achieving record numbers across the services.
"You find the great Americans who want to serve, and you've signed them up in record numbers," Hegseth said.
The secretary assured the honorees it’s the department’s goal to make their jobs easier by creating an environment for them to be more successful, such as establishing the Military Service Recruitment Task Force earlier in June.
“I say it all the time... we're here to serve you," Hegseth said, “and you are the standard bearers for us, and already, you have set the standard going into next year.”