KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Members of the 403rd Wing Development and Training Flight received a small dose of what is to come at Basic Military Training when Master Sgt. Robert Elliot, a military training instructor recruiter for the 433rd Training Squadron at Joint-Base San Antonio Lackland, Texas, visited trainees here during the Nov. 2-3 unit training assembly.
In addition to stirring a little post-Halloween, pre-BMT fright, Elliot was here on a larger mission: share information with Reserve Citizen Airmen about MTI opportunities.
Elliot said that oftentimes, reservists are not aware of the availability of Active Guard Reserve and traditional reservist positions in the MTI career-field, so it is his job to visit Air Force Reserve Command units and inform staff sergeants through master sergeants of the opportunities with BMT at Lackland.
Being an MTI, like being a recruiter, falls under the umbrella of special duty assignments and consists of an intense five-and-a-half month course followed by three years of service in the career-field with an option for one more year upon approval, said Elliot. Some of the qualification criteria includes high enough enlisted performance report scores, a 90 or above on the physical fitness assessment and no failures, mental health evaluations and minimum disciplinary incidents.
“This job is actually a huge opportunity for somebody to propel their career,” said Elliot. “For them to be able to come down and gain experience with time management, leadership, mentorship, and dealing with all types of situations that a lot of people in the Air Force don’t deal with gives great opportunity for career progression.”
During his time with the trainees Elliot was asked what the most rewarding moment of his career was for him. He responded with a story of how, with little information to go off of, he tracked down someone to attend graduation for a trainee who was under the impression that he would have nobody to tap him out following the coin ceremony.
“My job is rewarding in the aspect of seeing the transition in all of you (trainees), but to see how happy he was, was very rewarding.”
For those interested in a rewarding opportunity like Elliot’s, contact the 433rd TRS at 210-671-2410.