Ohio National Guard News

Among the best at his craft:
121st ARW recruiter hits career milestone in record time

Story and photo by Airman 1st Class Tiffany A. Emery, 121st Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

U.S. Air National Guard Master Sgt. Todd J. Parkison, a recruiting and retention manager with the
121st Air Refueling Wing poses for a portrait April 11, 2018 at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus. Parkison achieved 500 accessions in under seven years as a recruiter.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was 2015 and then-Tech. Sgt. Todd J. Parkison, a recruiter with the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, was at a training conference. He had only been a recruiter for about three years, but already had around 250 Airman accessions. 

When he saw people on stage getting awards for 500 accessions, he said, “That is a goal that I want to achieve.”

It typically takes recruiters 14 years to achieve 500 accessions, according to Senior Master Sgt. Joshua Blakley, the Ohio Air National Guard recruiting and retention superintendent.

Despite knowing this, Parkison said he wanted to achieve this goal sooner rather than later. Over the few years that followed, Parkison said he increased his yearly total accessions. Parkison was averaging about 77 accessions per year, which is more than double the national average of 36, Blakley said.

Just six years and nine months after graduating from recruiting school, Parkison achieved his goal and signed his 500th accession April 11 on base. 

Not only has Parkison reached his personal goal of 500 accessions, but he has earned numerous awards along the way.  A few of his other awards are Most Enlistments in the Nation (2015, 2016), Most Non-Prior Enlistments in the Nation (2013, 2014, 2016), Ohio Top Overall Accessions (2017), Diversity Recruiter of the Year for Ohio (2017) and Ohio Recruiter of the Year (2013, 2014, 2015).

Even with the volume that Parkison generates, Blakley said, “(Parkison) has striven to truly bring in the best, aiming for quality over quantity. He accomplished this all while the Ohio Air National Guard (personnel) end strength has been over 100-percent manned. Ohio is currently the highest manned state in the country.”

Parkison said his success is due to his passion for the Air National Guard and the great product he has to offer. “The 121st ARW is an outstanding unit and when you have a product like that, selling is easy,” Parkison said.

Recently, Parkison was promoted to master sergeant and is the new recruiting and retention manager at the 121st ARW.  As a result, he now supervises production recruiters and signs officers as well. In addition to providing the wing with qualified officers to help complete the mission, Parkison said he strives to be the best supervisor that he can be so that his production recruiters can have the same success that he has had.

Second Lt. Scott D. Krueger, director of personnel with the 121st ARW, said Parkison “is a role model for other Airmen and lives up to our core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.”