127th Wing opens recruiting office in Southfield

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Dan Heaton
  • 127th Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. --  The Michigan Air National Guard has opened a new recruiting office in Southfield, a Detroit suburb.

The new office on Southfield Road between 12 and 13 Mile roads not only will function as working space for Air National Guard recruiters from Selfridge Air National Guard Base, but will further cement the bond between the ANG and the community, said Brig. Gen. John D. Slocum, commander of the Michigan ANG's 127th Wing.

"Our Airmen hold jobs in the community, are students in the community and then they put the uniform on and serve the community and the nation," Slocum said. "Our role in the community, and the support we receive back from the community, is vitally important to the Air National Guard mission."

Slocum and other local Airmen held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the office on Jan. 6.

Southfield City Councilman Myron Frasier assisted Slocum in cutting the ribbon and said the ANG's presence in his city benefits both organizations.

"Joining the military was the best thing that ever happened to my own son," Frasier said. "You do a wonderful job of helping people to grow and to become solid citizens. Southfield is proud to have the Air National Guard in our community."

The office in Southfield is the second "off-base" location opened by the Michigan ANG in the past year. In February 2014, the 110th Attack Wing, based in Battle Creek, opened a field office in nearby Kalamazoo.

"That office has generated numerous leads of potential Airmen," said Senior Master Sgt. David Whynot, who oversees ANG recruiting at the state level. "The office is like a billboard out in the community, but one that allows people to walk in and ask questions and explore opportunities."

According to Tech. Sgt. Milton Rogers, the recruiting supervisor for the 127th Wing at Selfridge, there are currently about 50 openings in the wing at Selfridge for new recruits. Rogers said opportunities exist for recent high school graduates, as well as for men and women in their 20s or 30s who are looking for a new challenge. Programs also exist for those who previously served in the military to continue their service in the ANG.

"There's a lot of flexibility in the Guard, but more than that, I would really say the word is 'opportunity.' The opportunity exists to gain training, to gain extra income, to work toward a retirement," Rogers said.

Positions currently in high demand at Selfridge - some of which carry a bonus of up to $20,000 for an enlistment - are in a number of aircraft maintenance specialties; munitions handler; security forces; and ground fuels operations. Opportunities also exist for those in certain professions, such as doctors, nurses, dentists and lawyers.

For information on opportunities in the Air National Guard, contact the 127th Wing recruiting offices at (800) 645-9420 or via www.goang.com/mi

About the 127th Wing
Comprised of approximately 1,700 personnel and flying both the A-10 Thunderbolt II and the KC-135 Stratotanker, the 127th Wing supports Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command and Air Force Special Operation Command by providing highly-skilled Airmen to missions domestically and overseas. The 127th Wing is the host unit at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which marks its 97th year of continuous military air operations in 2014.

About the Michigan Air National Guard
More than 2,000 Citizen-Airmen serve in the Michigan Air National Guard. The MI-ANG operates the 127th Wing, which flies the KC-135 Stratotanker and A-10 Thunderbolt II, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base near Detroit; and the 110th Attack Wing, which operates a Remotely-Piloted Aircraft mission, at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base. The MI-ANG also operates two training sites in northern Michigan: the 147,000-acre Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, one of four such facilities in the nation; and the Grayling Air Gunnery Range.