The Air & Space Forces Association officially rolled out “AFA Advocates to Inspire Military Service” (AFA AIMS) May 28 to equip AFA’s members and chapters with the resources to help inspire the next generation of Airmen and Guardians.
“The key letter is the ‘I’ in AIMS: ‘Inspire.’ We have professional recruiters who recruit. Our role is to become advocates who help inspire service by telling our stories,” said Chief Master Sgt. Vance Clarke, USAF (Ret.), AFA AIMS Co-Chair and former U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service (AFRS) command chief. “It’s not just the Gen-Zers we want to reach, but also their influencers: parents, teachers, and neighbors. Many of them may never have met anyone who served and may not have any knowledge of the military or why service is important,” said Clarke.
An AIMS resource toolbox is now available at www.afa.org/AIMS. The page is also discoverable under the “Advocate” menu on AFA’s website. The new page includes:
- An interactive map allowing AFA Chapters and AFRS squadrons to locate one another and get in touch. AFA Chapters and members are encouraged to volunteer their information to join in the initiative.
- The AIMS Toolbox, a collection of downloadable resources designed by the AIMS Committee and AFRS. The resources—speech templates, fact sheets, current organizational information, and more—will help AFA members “tell their stories” more effectively.
AFA developed AIMS through an official partnership with the AFRS, culminating with the signing of a letter of intent between the two organizations.
“AFRS and AFA are natural partners,” AFRS Commander Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein said at AFA’s National Convention in 2023. He called on AFA leaders and members to help his organization address the Air and Space Forces’ recruiting crises by “telling their Air Force and Space Force stories.”
“The Toolbox resources should help us all do a better job of telling the Air and Space Forces story by providing correct and current information and providing some presentation ideas,” said AFA AIMS Co-Chair Lt. Gen. John Campbell, USAF (Ret.). “There’s no pass-fail grade; just do what your time and resources allow. There are lots of ways to get engaged, but at the end of the day, it’s as simple as General Amrhein’s request: ‘Tell Your Story.’”
One objective of AIMS is to promote closer relationships with recruiting squadrons. To make contact easier, the interactive Chapter-Squadron Locator Map on the AIMS website provides contact information for AFRS Squadrons and for Chapters and members who have specifically volunteered (via the Raise Your Hand link on the web page) to have their contact information displayed.
The map is sparse now but will grow as Chapters and members sign up. Volunteering yourself or your Chapter signals your willingness to:
- Contact the nearest squadron to introduce yourself;
- Respond if a recruiter contacts you and explore ways to help; and
- Provide feedback via the AIMS Contact Us link of your successes so we can share good ideas.
A Guide to Chapter-Squadron Engagement is under development and will be available through the AIMS Toolbox when complete.
“The current recruiting challenge is not a short-term problem,” Campbell said. “AFA is in a unique position to make a big impact with its national presence, proactive and engaged membership, and partnership with AFRS.”
