Photo By Master Sgt. Bryan Hoover | Pennsylvania Air National Guardsman, Master Sgt. Alex Wagner poses for a picture at...... read more read more
Master Sgt. Alex Wagner has etched his name in history as the 2024 Retention Manager of the Year for the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, winning the award for the second year in a row. Behind this achievement is a deep commitment to ensuring every Airman at the 171st Air Refueling Wing has the tools to succeed, both on duty and beyond.
From his early days as a Security Forces Defender to his current role, Wagner’s Air Force journey has been defined by his dedication to serving others. Now, as the sole retention officer for the 171st, he manages a wide range of responsibilities, including education benefits, career changes, bonus payouts, Guard-to-Guard transfers, and tracking personnel losses.
Wagner’s dedication to helping Airmen can be seen by looking back at his military career. He originally enlisted in the active-duty component of the Air Force as a Security Forces Defender in 2010 and was then assigned to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. He embarked on several deployments and even completed the elite Phoenix Raven Qualification Course, a program for specially trained security personnel.
In 2014, he transitioned to the PAANG by joining the 171st ARW near his hometown. He continued his career in security forces before jumping on an opportunity to serving as a recruiter. He immediately found success and was promoted into the retention manager role. Here, he has been able to help Airmen on a whole new level. As the retention manager, Wagner found a new sense of purpose.
“I loved helping people join the base as a recruiter,” he said. “But I’ve found an even greater fulfillment helping current members navigate their careers.”
The ROM is a unique position in the National Guard mostly because the active-duty component does not have this position. Since the ROM is responsible for all currently serving members assigned to the unit, Wagner must lean on his peers to find success.
“Being a single person office, I rely on the other shops across the base to help me help the member, it really keeps me engaged with the people we have here at our unit, and I am grateful we have such great members” he said.
With such a large obligation to the base, Wagner recognizes his success comes through the cooperation of fellow senior noncommissioned officers on the installation.
Wagner’s efforts earned him statewide recognition and led to his selection as the Retention Manager of the Year at the state level in 2023 and 2024. In addition to the state recognition, this award is also recognized at the region and national level for outstanding performance.
“The process starts with evaluations at the state level and moves up to regional and national competitions,” Wagner explained. “I’m no better than the other ROM’s across the state! We rely on each other every day to troubleshoot problems and collaborate our efforts to maximize effectiveness for the units”.
Wagner also recognized his leadership for taking the time to submit his name for this award and is looking to establish a standard for excellence. “I am so proud of the achievement and am appreciative of my leadership for this award, it means I’m doing my best and continuing to improve the 171st,” stated Wagner. “One of my primary focuses is making sure the next person is set up for even more; that will be my true measure of success is being able to train my replacement to continue to keep the 171st as the most educated unit.”
| Date Taken: | 01.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.08.2025 12:34 |
| Story ID: | 488847 |
| Location: | PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 296 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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