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10 Chief Masters Sergeants first to receive new Master Recruiter designation

  • Published
  • By Capt. Maggie Silva
  • Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFRS) --  Brig. Gen. Balan R. Ayyar, Air Force Recruiting Service commander here, recently presented the first ever Master Recruiter designation to the top 10 senior recruiters in AFRS.

"This distinct designation is the first time that we (AFRS) have taken the time to officially recognize these leaders for their hard work, knowledge, and expertise signifying their responsibility to this important profession," Ayyar said.

It is the mark of every great profession that we have these types of designations, he noted, referring to the newly created badge.

The general emphasized that this is not just about personal recognition, but signifies "the highest level of knowledge, skill and competence" and represents the "culmination of years of experience and expertise," he said.

The master recruiter designation symbolizes the AFRS commander's faith, trust and confidence in the character and commitment of senior recruiters to the enduring importance of the recruiting profession and mission. The master recruiter is charged with developing recruiting professionals, maintaining the highest standards and setting the example to ensure the recruiting profession's reputation for excellence and integrity remains steadfast.

The new designation badges are numbered and are awarded by seniority and position. Chief Master Sgt. William Cavenaugh, AFRS command chief, was awarded badge number 0001. The command chief has 23 years of Air Force recruiting experience and holds the most senior position among recruiters.

"Master Recruiters make up the governing body of our profession, the profession of recruiting, and are responsible to its members up and down the chain of command," Cavenaugh said . "They possess the breadth of experience, depth of leadership and corporate knowledge required to guide, mentor and grow our recruiting force, and advise our senior leadership on recruiting related issues that impact our Air Force and its ability to sustain air, space and cyberspace dominance."

The command chief added that this is a huge responsibility but "I have no doubt these great Airmen can answer the call."

The badge is awarded through a nomination and testing process and is a prerequisite to being placed on the recruiting squadron production superintendent list.

"There should be a sense of obligation from wearing the badge," the general said to the 10 recipients.

"The next generation of recruiting professionals will require your mentorship and collective wisdom," Ayyar said. "You are asked to think differently about your responsibilities and you have an obligation to make sure we have a way of sharing and identifying best practices to enhance the institution."

The award of the Air Force Recruiting Service Master Recruiter designation is the pinnacle achievement of the recruiting profession.

The first 10 recruiters to receive the badge are:

Chief Master Sgt. William Cavenaugh
Chief Master Sgt. Jason Kenney
Chief Master Sgt. John Bryant
Chief Master Sgt. Lester Harvey
Chief Master Sgt. James Nickerson
Chief Master Sgt. Ernest Chapman
Chief Master Sgt. Scott Haskins
Chief Master Sgt. George Skender
Chief Master Sgt. Debra Westmoreland
Chief Master Sgt. Bradley Elkjer