As the Florida Air National Guard soars to new heights by evolving its fighting force, production recruiters demonstrated their key role in force growth and retention. The FLANG ranked as the number one Fighter Wing across the nation in 2025, with no signs of slowing down as it started the 2026 year off by crushing goals earlier than anticipated. National Guard recruiters build a combat-ready force by securing qualified applicants committed to service at home and abroad.
“One of the most rewarding parts is when a new applicant comes in, not knowing anything about the Florida Air National Guard, but knows what they want to accomplish in life,” said Tech Sgt. Allyson Bailey, a production recruiter with Headquarters, Florida Air National Guard. “Getting to develop a plan with them and how to achieve those goals through the military, then watching them accomplish all those goals they set for themselves throughout that military career is always inspiring.”
The FLANG exceeded its personnel goals by more than 100 percent, surpassing the targets set by the National Guard Bureau and the State of Florida. Recruiters vetted qualified applicants from both the civilian population and members of prior service. As the force continues to grow and the interest in service rises, production recruiters adapt their techniques and workload to meet these needs.
“We raised our recruiters' individual goals to accommodate the state's demand, and they were able to adapt very well as both a team and individuals,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jerremy Newsome, senior enlisted advisor for Recruiting and Retention FLANG. “We were the number one wing for the nation last year due to this high performance across the entirety of the Air National Guard. As we move forward, we have also been evolving recruiting efforts, so we are not just focused on gaining troops, but also putting the right people in the right positions in order to raise readiness levels across the force.”
The recruiting and retention team demonstrated their adaptability as they adjusted their operational procedures to accommodate new demands. Production recruiters created specialties among the staff that allowed them to concentrate on categories such as units, officer candidates, non- prior service, and more. Having production recruiters that focus on one category of personnel and their corresponding procedures enhanced efficiency and precision while establishing higher quality benchmarks.
“What sets our team apart from the other states is our commitment to high standards,” said Lt. Col. Kyle Thurmond, Recruiting and Retention commander for the FLANG. “Each recruiter brings their own strengths to the team, which we then incorporate into their specific taskings. We can divide our efforts to give categories their own staff in order to make the process more streamlined. This vision was implemented by Senior Master Sgt. Newsome, and has been a huge success.”
For the recruiters on the ground, the impact of the leadership philosophy is evident in daily operations. Clearly defined roles, elevated expectations, and shared accountability have fostered a culture built on professionalism and results. By empowering recruiters to specialize and refine their craft, the team has strengthened both efficiency and accuracy across the enterprise. That culture of excellence directly supports the broader mission of building and sustaining a ready, capable force.
“Our leadership has helped us build a team of extremely capable recruiters,” said Bailey. “ Recruiting is the foundation for everything, as we can't function without qualified personnel. It's our mission to make sure we are filling up vacancies, making sure commanders have everyone they need for mission success, and fulfilling the state’s missions by providing more Airmen to assist our communities in times of need.”