Horsham Air Guard recruiters take state by storm in acquiring acclaim

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Andria J. Allmond
  • 111th ATKW Public Affairs
HORSHAM AIR GUARD STATION, Pa. --  Two 111th Attack Wing recruiters earned state honors as paramount producers in their respective fields Oct. 28, here.

The work of Tech. Sgt. Alex Galatis, 111th ATKW production recruiter, merited recognition as Top Accessions and Production Recruiter of the Year for fiscal year 2014. A recruiter for three years, Galatis obtained this award for the first time and said that it wasn't an easy task.

"Being recognized for an honor like this involves a lot of hard work," said Galatis. "For me, it required long hours, which included early mornings and late nights. In all, it was worth it. I say that not so much about winning the award, but for the ability to work with applicants. That's the rewarding part."

Galatis has been a recruiter for three years; this year alone, he drafted more than 80 trainees for the 111th ATKW. Aside from the numbers, Galatis takes pride in the quality of people he is bringing into the unit.

"To have the opportunity to place quality individuals in a career that benefits them and the wing is the best part of the job," said Galatis.

Master Sgt. Kevin Watson, 111th ATKW recruiting office supervisor, claimed the title of Recruiting Office Supervisor of the Year for the state during fiscal year 2014. A former Marine Corps infantryman, Watson has been a recruiter for more than 5 years after entering the wing as a firefighter.

Watson, who is no stranger to military awards and decorations, stated that there were challenges he needed to overcome to perform at such a high level of expertise.

"Coming from being a production recruiter to the office supervisor required me to essentially learn a totally new job," said Watson. "It forced me to acquire additional skill sets and knowledge base - taking on all new duties and responsibilities."

A humbled Watson didn't take full credit for the acknowledgment, but instead states that the 111th ATKW won this award with him.

At one point, the recruiting section here was 50-percent manned, said Watson. "If it wasn't for the wing rallying around us recruiters, we would have never been able to accomplish our mission. We had our fellow Guardsmen supply us with overwhelming support by assisting in running applicants to (the military entrance processing station) and helping us at job fairs, along with many other matters. The credit for our success goes to the wing, not to one person alone."