121st Airman is Ohio Air National Guard Recruiter of Year
Story by Senior Airman Mikayla Gibbs, 121st Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS, Ohio (08/27/2021)
During his first full year as a recruiter, Tech. Sgt. Jordan Hopson stood out in his field.
When he enlisted in 2013, Hopson became a member of the 121st Security Forces Squadron at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus. After being a member of SFS for five years, he decided he wanted to become a recruiter for the 121st Air Refueling Wing so he could give back to the unit and to the Air National Guard and help others share in some of the experiences and opportunities the Guard has given him, he said.
Despite just completing his first full year as a recruiter and the challenges that COVID-19 presented, Hopson was selected as the recruiter of the year for the Ohio Air National Guard.
“The award is driven off production, diversity and other community involvement,” he said. “I did a lot of volunteering with the Junior ROTC programs at the high schools we were in before COVID took off.”
With 79 enlistments throughout federal fiscal year 2020, Hopson had the most accessions across the entire Air National Guard.
Hopson’s favorite part of being a recruiter is being able to talk through the enlistment process with applicants and their families and seeing them take their oath of enlistment, he said.
“I’m part of one military generation bringing in another generation that will eventually take over,” he said. “When they take that oath, that’s the best part.”
Since recruiters couldn’t visit high schools and colleges due to the pandemic, Hopson said it was more difficult to get in front of potential recruits. He didn’t let that stop him, however, and made every effort to make contacts. Some applicants have even more questions about the military with the current uncertainty in the world, he said.
“With the current social unrest, a lot of political conversations are taking place at people’s homes,” he said. “It can sometimes be difficult to show someone that the Guard is still a great opportunity. We know what’s going on in the news every day, and some applicants’ attitudes have shifted.”
Added Master Sgt. Todd Parkison, the 121st Recruiting Flight chief: “The 121st was able to put up great numbers despite the COVID year we had. Furthermore, Sgt. Hopson led the team and the nation with enlistments, so for him to be able to do that this year was really impressive.”
In addition to being the recruiter of the year, Hopson and the rest of the recruiting team at the 121st ARW received the Patriot Award for the state of Ohio.
In addition to being the recruiter of the year, Hopson and the rest of the recruiting team at the 121st ARW received the Patriot Award for the state of Ohio.
“The Patriot Award was determined by not only our numbers, but by what are we doing in the community to make a good name for the Air National Guard,” Hopson said. “It’s pretty cool when we actually get to go and just try to help out in our communities.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, one way the recruiting team volunteered was by periodically helping at a local assisted living facility. They worked hard to try to come up with new ideas of how else they could contribute to the community, Hopson said.
“Our team is really enthusiastic and has a bunch of different personalities,” he said. “We all thrive off one another, and we challenge each other to do better. Even though we’re individual recruiters, collaborating as a group helps us be even more successful.”
