QUANTICO, Va. -- For those old enough to remember, the Uncle Sam ‘I Want You’ poster was instrumental in recruiting young men to join the military.
While times and methods have changed, reaching out to replenish the troops is just as important today as it was then.
To ensure its enlisted force of special agents is properly manned, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations goes to where the Airmen are via the AFOSI Recruiting Roadshow.
The Roadshow is a two-hour presentation, conducted at Air Force installations worldwide by Special Agent Dan Chaale, Superintendent of Recruiting and Applicant Processing at OSI Headquarters, Quantico, Va., with assistance from the Air Force Recruiting Service, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.
Numbers-wise, it has been an effective way to reach prospective Special Agents in the overall scheme of OSI recruitment.
“I’m constantly impressed with the interest in our organization,” said SA Chaale who has presented 38 Roadshows at 24 different Air Force installations since his first in November 2016 at Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland. “Given the limited number of locations we’ve visited, we’ve had more than 300 applicants and answered more than 1,500 emails.”
Working with the support of each host base Career Assistance Advisor, the current OSI Recruiting Roadshow format consists of: a 50-minute session on a “Day in the Life” of an OSI Special Agent; the eight-minute OSI video giving attendees an overview of the organization; a 10-minute explanation of the application process; and a 10-minute question and answer period.
“I’m somewhat taken aback by the amount of misconceptions concerning entry requirements to become an OSI Special Agent, SA Chaale said. “I hear a new one at almost every briefing: ‘Can’t have tattoos;’ ‘Can’t have foreign family members;’ ‘Must have Security Forces or Intelligence experience,’ etc.”
None of those are true.
Many misconceptions about the enlisted application/selection process can be addressed by clicking the Frequently Asked Questions link at:
www.osi.af.mil/VACANCY/Enlisted/Enlisted-FAQ/
The overall aim of the Recruiting Roadshow Program is to increase the quality and quantity of AFOSI enlisted agent applicants while reducing the workload for field agents who are part of the overall recruiting process. This is done through a centralized recruiting process via the online Enlisted Agent Applicant Portal (EAAP), the Enlisted Agent Recruiting Team organizational email box and the Recruiting Roadshows.
The Roadshows target recruits who are senior airmen and staff sergeants (First Term Airmen) within their retraining window in accordance with Air Force Instruction 36-2626. But, they’re also open to staff sergeants and technical sergeants with less than 10 years of total active federal military service because OSI is interested in recruiting them as well.
“Anyone interested in learning more about life as an OSI Special Agent is welcome to attend our Recruiting Roadshows,” SA Chaale said. “I’ve had officers and civilians attend.”
If anyone has questions about recruitment or serving as an AFOSI Special Agent, don’t hesitate to email the Enlisted Agent Recruiting Team org box at: AFOSI.enlisted.recruiting@us.af.mil .