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Fairchild Airman chosen as recruiting spotlight

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Connie L. Bias
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
The name Kyle Sweiderk is about to hit it big. The 92nd Operations Support Squadron air traffic controller will be highlighted in the August edition of Technology Education Magazine, an Air Force Recruiting Service safety publication distributed to more than 30,000 high school technical shops around the nation.

And why was this particular airman first class, with just two years of Air Force experience behind him, chosen to represent the Air Force?

You'll never figure it out by asking him.

"Well, I joined the Air Force because I didn't have a steady job; I always worked summer and winter jobs," Airman Sweiderk will start out. "And school wasn't really for me; I didn't want to go to college," he'll muse. "I just wanted to get a job and go for it."

You wouldn't think these words would mark a man hand-picked for his zeal, commitment and exemplary leadership skills. Talk to his supervisors and co-workers, though, and you'll get a more accurate picture of the humble 20-year-old.

"(The Air Force) asked me to name an air traffic controller who epitomizes what young potential air traffic controllers would want to be, and Airman Sweiderk came to mind right away," said Senior Master Sgt. Brian Lavoie, the 92nd OSS tower chief controller who recommended Airman Sweiderk for the publication. "He makes sure the planes get where they need to go when they need to get there, and he doesn't let anything stop him from getting his job done. For a young guy, that's fantastic, and I applaud him all the time."

Sergeant Lavoie also said that Airman Sweiderk's dedication doesn't stop in the control tower. The Airman volunteers for base and squadron functions, and recently took charge of coordinating a Single Airmen's dinner that served more than 60 people. He also trains new air traffic controllers at Fairchild, even though he has only been out of technical school and in the field for a year-and-a-half.

"I don't take that lightly - training air traffic controllers," said Sergeant Lavoie. "Our guys often take a long time before they can stand on their own."

And the "school wasn't really for me" line? Airman Sweiderk is halfway through his Community College of the Air Force degree, simultaneously working on that associate's degree and an Airway Science bachelor's degree through Embry Riddle Aeronautical University - a degree that will further his job knowledge and qualifications.

"He'd rather sit upstairs and work airplanes than anything else, and it's that type of enthusiasm that makes Airman Sweiderk shine," said Sergeant Lavoie.

Outside of work and related activities, the Airman is just as involved. Growing up with parents who are "big into travel" rubbed off; in the short time the New Jersey native has been at Fairchild, he and his new bride Nicole have visited Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park, and spent many weekends snowboarding and enjoying other outdoor activities.

Airman Sweiderk said he hopes the Air Force will allow him to extend his travel experiences even more.

"I'd like to go to Europe," he said. "I've been on a few cruises and vacations with my family, but Europe is one thing I haven't done."

One thing he has done is impress everyone around him, and now he's one of 11 Airmen in 11 different career fields whose stories will touch recruitable high school students in the 2007-2008 school year.

For Airman Sweiderk, this honor is a "big surprise."

To everyone else, he deserves it.