Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Heaton | Senior Airman Michael Garnder puts away tools after completing a task at Selfridge Air...... read more read more
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Aircraft enthusiasts, those seeking a little help for college and, of course, people who can’t quite fully explain that deep-rooted desire to service their country. All these and more are reasons for men and women to not only enlist in the Michigan Air National Guard’s 127th Wing, but also to re-enlist.
Senior Master Sgt. Greg Reiss, who has about 32 years of total military service, re-enlisted on Saturday, March 6.
“The benefits are part of it, of course, but I guess I’d have to say, I just like serving my country and being around people who feel the same way,” Reiss said.
That idea of service – along with pay, retirement and education benefits – motivate many 127th Wing Airmen to “Stay Guard,” said Master Sgt. Jeffrey Koss, retention manager for the wing, which is based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in suburban Detroit.
“At different points in people’s career, different aspects are more important,” he said. “For most, the idea of service is at the core.”
Recognizing the 127th Wing’s Airmen as its most valuable resource, the wing’s commander, Brig. Gen. Rolf Mammen, has made personnel retention his top priority in 2021.
“We have some phenomenal people in the wing and I’d like to see them continue to serve,” the general said in a recent roll call formation.
Mammen said in fiscal year 2021, about 200 recruitments or retentions need to take place to keep the 127th Wing at 100 percent manning levels. About 140 are needed through the end of September 2021 to make that goal.
Even though Reiss is the operations chief for the 127th Civil Engineer Squadron, he said a big part of his job is talking with junior Airmen about their careers.
“I want to make sure that they are able to make informed decisions and consider the options of staying in the Guard.
Koss said some critically understaffed career fields in the Michigan Air National Guard can offer a retention bonus of up to $30,000.
Reiss said he also benefited as a young Airman from learning a skill in the military that long since helped him land a civilian employment career.
About three years ago, Staff Sgt. Nicholas Cyr joined the KC-135 Stratotanker maintenance team after serving a stint in the active-duty Air Force.
“This is a very family-oreintated organization,” said Cyr, a hydraulics specialist who works on KC-135 aircraft in the 191st Maintenance Squadron at Selfridge.
“The people who are above me care about us, both our military career and what’s happening outside of work. It’s an overall good place to work, Cyr said.
On a recent sunny but cool Saturday, while Cyr was performing some routine maintenance on the refueling boom on a KC-135, two other Airmen, also from the 191st, were putting tools away and warming up after a quick outdoor job.
To hear Senior Airman Michael Gardner and Staff Sgt. Adam Zmudczynski talk, the only question left unanswered is which one loves working on aircraft more.
“I have a genuine passion for aircraft,” Zmudczynski said, while watching Gardner log in their completed work report in the computer system. Both men are sheet metal works on KC-135s.
“We’ve got the best job in maintenance,” said Zmudczynski – who often goes by “Mud.”
“We’re out there doing something different every day,” he said.
His thoughts were echoed by Gardner.
“I always wanted to work on airplanes. Being a part of the Air Guard is a way to be able to do that,” Gardner said.
Recently, the 127th Wing’s Retention Office re-located from the Visitor’s Center at Selfridge to Building 304. Koss said the move makes it easier for Guardsmen to visit the Retention Office. The wing’s Recruiting Office continues to operate at the Visitor’s Center, which is more readily accessible for those who are not currently in the military.
Both offices often answer questions for potential recruits and current Airmen about the current educational benefits available to Wing members. Up to $14,400 per year is available as tuition reimbursement for those working on an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, while master’s degrees and a number of vocational training programs are eligible for up to $6,000 in reimbursement per year.
The 127th Wing Recruiting Office, for those interested in joining the wing, can be reached at (586) 239-2487. The 127th Wing Retention Office, for those seeking to re-enlist in the wing, can be reached at 239-4031.
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2021 10:47 |
| Story ID: | 390773 |
| Location: | MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 53 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Service, Benefits -- And Aircraft! -- Keep Airmen In Michigan Guard, by SMSgt Daniel Heaton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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