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New enlistees swear in at San Francisco 49ers game

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Connie L. Bias
  • 364th Recruiting Squadron
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (AETCNS) --  Seventy-six Delayed Entry Program recruits swore into the Air Force Nov. 6 before a crowd of 70,000 at a San Francisco 49ers game.

The DEPers, some of whom traveled as far as 100 miles to the Monster Park football field, enlisted through the 364th Recruiting Squadron, headquartered in Sacramento, Calif.

The annual swear-in had its start in 2004, when 49ers entertainment director Lorie Murphy jumped at the chance to beef up the team's Military Appreciation Game halftime show. Already, the enlistment oath has met huge success.

"The crowd response was overwhelming," said Ms. Murphy. "The event captivated the entire halftime show - the response was as loud as when the team scores a game-winning touchdown."

"Overwhelming" was also the word used by David Stivers, a DEPer enlisting through the recruiting flight in Novato, Calif. A 26-year-old college graduate, Mr. Stivers has worked in the civilian force for almost 10 years. He's enlisting for the camaraderie, discipline and "endless possibilities" he sees in the Air Force. The appreciation he and his fellow recruits received from thousands of Americans at the 49ers game confirmed his Air Force pride and convinced him that he's making the right decision to enlist.

"The applause and standing ovations from the crowd made me very happy," he said. "The crowd was completely supportive."

In addition to the swear-in, the halftime show featured a ceremony for 61 Purple Heart recipients who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea and World War II. A joint-service color guard also presented the colors while a student choir from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., sang the National Anthem.

The young enlistees were sworn in by Maj. Gen. Gilmary Michael Hostage III, director of operations at Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.