WASHINGTON - The Air National Guard's storefront recruiting facilities program got a momentum boost this fiscal year by officially becoming funded by the National Guard Bureau for the first time, Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Greg Renz said recently.
Renz, the ANG's recruiting operations superintendent, added that the program - which places recruitment centers out into the communities - did receive some funding in the past, but it was only out of executioner funds, which are comprised of leftover annually-budgeted ANG recruiting dollars.
"Traditionally, as an Air Guard unit, if the unit itself had a storefront, they had to go and procure the storefront on their own," he said.
Before the program became officially funded, if any units set up a storefront and the money hadn't come from NGB, then the unit would have to take it out of their budget.
"This allows all [wings] to have a storefront, and [NGB will] pay for it," he said. "The funding will pay for the leases . and the expenses associated with having a storefront."
Renz said the storefront program is an important step for building relationships within the communities and the other service branches.
"It allows recruiters to get closer with their local community," he said. "We can expand our footprint across America . and maybe recruit from some communities [where] we haven't been before."
Adding storefronts close to active duty recruiters will embrace the total force concept and work with each other to recruit for what they need, he said.
The storefront program also has an aesthetic and practical advantage as well, Renz said.
"If you walk into a storefront in Illinois it should be the same . if you walk into a storefront in Washington," he said. "Wherever you go, it should have the same look and feel."
Each storefront will have a specialized look and feel directly related to whatever mission each unit is recruiting, he added.
"If you have unit that has F-22s, when you go to that particular storefront you will see pictures and specialized information about that mission. That's makes it easier for a recruiter to show what [individual wings] do."
He added it will also bring a continuity that fits the storefronts into the Department of Defense recruiting facilities program.
"We're excited about the program . it's going to offer stability, a professional look and feel, and it's going to give us the ability to showcase the ANG in a light that it actually is - a professional organization,' he said.
Renz added that commanders interested in starting a storefront in their local area should contact their recruiting and retention superintendents for information.