Special duties team look to Peterson for Airmen Published Feb. 4, 2008 By Corey Dahl 21st Space Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The Air Education and Training Command's special duty assignment team stopped here Jan. 29, looking for a few good Airmen. Dozens of Airmen filled the auditorium at the Forrest L. Vosler Non-Commissioned Officer Academy to learn about special duties opportunities in the Air Force, including working as a recruiter or a military training instructor. The team briefed Airmen on the benefits of special duties assignments and then relayed their own experiences in the field. "We give them first-hand knowledge of what recruiting and MTI duties are like," said Master Sgt. Craig Ploessl, a member of the recruiting screening team. "It's about getting the word out, letting them know what some of the benefits are." Chief among the benefits is the opportunity to receive special duty assignment pay, which can add a couple extra hundred dollars into an Airman's paycheck. Recruiters also have the ability to choose from more than 1,100 locations for assignment. Peterson was just one of more than 50 bases the Special Duty Assignment Team will visit this year. The team constantly travels across the country, looking for anyone from senior airmen to master sergeants to fill the Air Force's many recruiting and training positions. Each year, the Air Force needs to hire between 300 and 400 recruiters alone. About 80 to 90 military training instructors are needed each year. "We're always looking for people to fill these positions," said Tech. Sgt. Danica Eusay, non-commissioned officer in charge of MTI recruiting. "It's a constant need." The high demand doesn't mean special duty positions aren't highly selective, though. Airmen must have impeccable records, Sergeant Ploessl said, and the special duties team often looks at everything from finances to physical training test scores when determining whether to select an Airman. "We definitely want the best of the best recruiting and training the future leaders of the Air Force," Sergeant Ploessl said. "We're looking for someone who's able to go out there, tell the Air Force story and bleed Air Force blue." Airmen who missed the briefing but are still interested in a special duty assignment can visit the following Web sites for more information: For Air Force recruiting, visit http://www.rs.af.mil. For MTI duties, visit http://www.lackland.af.mil/737web/main.cfm. Or contact Master Sgt. Mary LaCombe, Peterson's career assistance advisor, at 556-9226.