367th RCS named top squadron for 2008

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  • By 367th Recruiting Squadron
Colorado Springs, Colo. --  The 367th Recruiting Squadron recently won the coveted Air Force Recruiting Service Top Overall Squadron award, taking first place out of 27 squadrons for fiscal year 2008. Col. William Welch, mobilization assistant to the AFRS commander, presented the annual award at the unit's annual awards banquet Oct. 20 at the historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo.

The award recognizes the squadron with the best overall performance record in the national competition. This includes maximizing performance factors in enlisted and officer recruiting, and in military entrance processing station operations. The competition reflects U.S. Air Force requirements to recruit quality men and women with the right skills, at the right time, in the right numbers to sustain the service's combat capability.

Following the award presentation, guest speaker Maj. Gen. Thomas Deppe, Air Force Space Command vice commander, took the stage. The former enlisted Air Force recruiter fired up the crowd of 120 Airmen and their spouses who appreciated hearing from a general officer who has walked in their shoes.

"Some things have not changed since I left recruiting back in 1977 -- it's still a demanding yet very rewarding job and the 367th did it better than anyone last year," the general said.

The 367th RCS is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has an area of responsibility that spans eight states and approximately 450,000 square miles. The 92-member squadron supports 42 recruiting offices spread out from Cody, Wyo., to El Paso Texas. Unit Airmen make numerous phone calls, give hundreds of school presentations and participate in scores events each year, logging more than one million miles of driving annually as part of the recruiting mission. This is because the recruiters know the far-reaching implications their efforts have on national security and the benefits that Air Force life offers qualified residents, said Lt. Col. Scott Maethner.

"None of the awesome capabilities provided by the U.S. Air Force could exist without Airmen, and we would not have Airmen without Air Force recruiters," said Colonel Maethner, 367th RCS commander. "I am very proud of what this squadron accomplished this past year. I am also very proud of what they do every day. They sustain Air Force capabilities and are changing lives by providing tremendous opportunities to young Americans."