Kansas, Oklahoma 'DEPers' visit McConnell AFB

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Victor J. Caputo
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  The decision to join the military may not be easy. Deciding which branch to join may be even more difficult.

The recruiters in the 349th Recruiting Squadron D-flight, based out of Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., try their best to make one option soar above the others.

The flight, consisting of seven recruiters, gathered approximately 85 men and women who comprise their Delayed Entry Program groups and traveled to the track and baseball field here at McConnell AFB for a special event on July 20.

"We have monthly DEP commander's calls at the individual recruiter's level," said Master Sgt. Darrell Riley, 349th RS D-flight chief, "so this is a once-a-year thing where all of my recruiters in a two-state area can come together so all of our [recruits] can learn to mingle with one another."

Approximately 85 "DEPers" and their recruiters made the trip to Wichita, Kan., from as far away as the five-hour drive from Phillipsburg, Kan.

The potential Airmen all took part in a group physical training session meant to simulate an Air Force PT session they could encounter in their career.

The group of DEPers split into groups after PT and spent the next hour rotating between recruiters to learn different things, ranging from the Air Force's core values, the types of education benefits available, to practicing drill and ceremony.

"In the DEP, our job is to keep [the recruits] motivated, qualified and informed on becoming a good Airman," said Riley. "We get together at events like this to try to share mentorship and leadership as well as to provide them with some guidance to be prepared for basic training and for their future in the Air Force."

Some of the DEPers thought the chance to interact with people preparing for the same thing was a unique opportunity.
"I thought people would be acting 'high-and-mighty' because they're joining the Air Force," said Shea Alaska, who has been in the DEP for more than a year, "but everybody was actually pretty cool, and it was really fun."

Many of the DEPers also took advantage of hearing the perspectives of a different recruiter.

"They told us a lot of new information we hadn't learned yet," said Marcy Barth, who has been in the DEP since March. "Hearing about all of the different education benefits and practicing drill was really helpful, too."

The recruiters of D-flight try to make sure they give their recruits the best chance they can to see what life as an Airman is like.

"It's a great opportunity for us to show [recruits] that know nothing about the Air Force what it's going to be like, how great of Airmen there are and how great the facilities are that we have," said Riley. "We are really fortunate and sometimes we take it for granted, so we want to show it off."