Air Force Recruiting Service, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, is a key component of Air Education and Training Command.
Mission
The mission of AFRS is to inspire, engage and recruit the next generation of Airmen and Guardians.
AFRS recruits quality men and women from a cross-section of America, responsive to the ever-changing needs of the Air Force and Space Force. The accession of a steady flow of new recruits is essential to maintain a force with the proper distribution of skills. AFRS recruits the best candidates possible, and then provides them with tough, highly technical training that gives them the right skills to replenish the combat capability of America's Air Force and Space Force.
AFRS accesses more than 45,000 individuals each year for service in the Air Force active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve as well as the Space Force.
The command is responsible for accessing 100 percent of the enlisted force, 90 percent of the service's health professions officers, approximately 16 percent of the line officers and 100 percent of chaplains for the Air Force.
Vision
One team, innovating to be the first choice of America’s top talent.
Organization
In total, AFRS includes more than 3,700 personnel who support the mission of recruiting the enlisted members and officers needed to meet the diverse demands of America's expeditionary Air Force and visionary Space Force. As such, AFRS integrates with its Total Force partners to sustain the regular Air Force and Space Force, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard.
AFRS is composed of four groups and 32 squadrons (one group and it's four squadrons are Air Force Reserve). These groups are: the 360th Recruiting Group at New Cumberland, Penn.; the 369th Recruiting Group at JBSA-Lackland, Texas; the 372nd Recruiting Group at Hill AFB, Utah, and the 367th Recruiting Group at Robins AFB, Ga. (Air Force Reserve).
There are approximately 1,920 recruiters located in 1,275 recruiting offices throughout the United States. There is also a recruiting presence in England, Germany, Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands. The highest quality Airmen are nominated by their commanders and selected for duty as Air Force recruiters. The nominated recruiters attend an initial seven-week training course at the Air Force Recruiting School at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
AFRS uses business principles, including sales training and advertising, to market the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force as a challenging and rewarding career opportunity for young Americans.
History
When the Air Force became a separate service in 1947, it recognized the value of providing outstanding customer service in maintaining a positive connection with the American public to attract high-quality men and women.
Initially, the Army and Air Force conducted a joint recruiting program through the Army, but the Air Force assumed responsibility for its own recruiting in 1954. The mission was assigned to the 3500th U.S. Air Force Recruiting Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, under the command of Brig. Gen. Arno Luehman. The wing was inactivated on July 8, 1959, and the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service was activated in its place. In 1965, the headquarters moved to its present location at JBSA-Randolph, Texas. The command was renamed Air Force Recruiting Service in 1994.
Since 2017, Headquarters AFRS has been working toward integrating all recruiting organizations – Regular Air Force, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, Air Force Academy admissions, Air Force Civilian Service and Air Force ROTC – to integrate strategies and activities to present a unified Total Force presence in each recruiting market. A classic associate partnership between AFRS and Air Force Reserve Recruiting Service was aligned and published with an effective date of June 14, 2020. As part of the association, AFRC Recruiting Service has officially aligned its four recruiting squadrons to become the 367th Recruiting Group. The 367th RCG is now the fourth group under the AFRS umbrella. In Summer 2020, AFRS and ANG Recruiting and Retention signed a mutual support agreement that will combine resources and integrate staff to enhance marketing and advertising.
In fiscal 2021, AFRS began supporting the Space Force in finding America’s best and brightest to become future Guardians. There are dedicated Space Force recruiters across the nation working out of Air Force recruiting offices.
Job opportunities
For information about Air Force enlisted, officer and healthcare professional job opportunities, contact a local Air Force recruiter by visiting the Recruiter Locator link on the official Air Force recruiting website at www.airforce.com or call 1-800-423-USAF (8723). For information about U.S. Space Force careers, visit www.spaceforce.com.
AFRS Public Affairs
For more information about the AFRS mission, contact the AFRS Public Affairs office by emailing afrshqpa@us.af.mil.
(Current as of April 2024)