Klinsman Barahona
Mr.Salzman
Period 6
March 13, 2014
My First Step in Joining the United States Air Force
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I had previously considered joining the Air Force, but never really attempted to contact a recruiter. On March 7, 2014 I visited the recruiting office here in Las Vegas and spoke to Staff Sergeant Robert Salinas-Jimenez to receive some information on becoming a part of the United States Air Force.
While waiting to speak to him, I was definitely anxious. I kept going over what I wanted to ask and what information I need, to help me make sure that this is what I wanted to do with my life. He was obviously intimidating; I knew that his first impression of me was crucial. I introduced myself, and explained why I was there, “I am very interested in joining the Air Force, I just wanted some information and wanted to ask you a couple of questions that I had.”
First he took my height and weight, and then made me take a seat. First thing he had told me was that I don’t meet the height and weight requirements to join the Air Force. Since I am 68 inches tall, and weigh 197 pounds, I don’t qualify. Someone who is 68 inches tall must weigh, at most, 180 pounds. Plus before you go to Basic Training Camp, you must be 5 pounds under the max weight. After he explained that to me, he had noticed that I don’t look the weight that I am, he continued to explain that I can take a body fat percentage exam in Salt Lake City to prove that I am able to join. Hearing this definitely made me feel relieved.
After this, he asked a couple of basic questions, “Do you have any dependents? Are you a United States citizen? Have you ever used or sold illegal drugs?” I answered accordingly and we continued. He then printed a sheet of jobs that the Air Force offers. I had two different jobs in mind before I walked into his office, an Air Traffic Controller, or somewhere in the Cyber Systems Operation field. I told him this and he seemed surprised, those...