Admissions liaison officers are recruiters for Air Force Academy Published Feb. 16, 2011 By Susan Griggs 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Have you ever wondered who goes to the Air Force Academy and how they get there? High school students and prior enlisted service members from all over the country, and even other nations, attend the academy, and there's a whole force of admission liaison officers to assist them in their preparation and admission process. Many high school students know about the Air Force Academy from their family and friends in the Air Force, exposure to the academy's sports teams or even from visiting the campus in the foothills of the Rockies near Colorado Springs, Colo. But many other students across the country have never heard of the Air Force Academy or don't realize that they may be qualified to attend. An ALO plays a valuable role in both situations. "An ALO's job is to identify, recruit, counsel and evaluate local high school students who are interested, or who may be interested, in attending the Air Force Academy," says Maj. Casey Moore, a reservist who's been an ALO for the state of Mississippi for the last five years following an active-duty Air Force career. "ALOs play a major role, sometimes the most important role, in the process of finding outstanding young people that go on to attend the AFA and become future leaders of the Air Force and our country," Major Moore explained. An ALO is a nonpaid position. Most ALOs do much of their work from their homes, but also travel to local schools, homes and communities to meet with and recruit students. Major Moore points out that the ALO job is not only a great asset for the prospective academy cadet, but "being an ALO is personally fulfilling. It's a great feeling to be able to help these young people realize their dream of attending the Air Force Academy, or in many cases, guiding a student that has not considered the academy into realizing what a great opportunity it is. And it is a great way to continue serving in the Air Force even beyond active duty." The Mississippi ALO unit, made up of 20 members, always needs additional recruiters, especially in the Gulf of Mexico region. Most officers can become an ALO as an additional duty to their primary active-duty, reserve or Air National Guard job. Retired officers and some civilians with ties to the Air Force Academy can also serve as ALOs. "ALOs are assigned regions within Mississippi, and then specific high schools within that region to cover," Major Moore noted. "ALOs can even live outside of Mississippi, but all schools and regions will be in Mississippi, so it might not be convenient to live too far away. I actually live in Collierville, Tenn., just north of Mississippi, and cover the northern region of the state for my ALO duties. "Being an ALO is essentially a part-time military job that has many benefits," Major Moore said. "You can earn points toward retirement, it provides great input for performance reports and the opportunity for promotion may be beyond what you might be doing now. "I think many officers would find being an ALO a very rewarding experience, as well as a great way to serve their country in a way that will benefit us all many years into the future," Major Moore continued. "Additionally, interested active-duty, reserve or guard personnel can become an ALO in a primary Category E reserve capacity. Although it's a non-paid position, ALOs earn points toward retirement while performing a very important job helping Mississippi's outstanding youth." For more information on Air Force Academy opportunities or becoming an ALO, e-mail Major Moore, caseykmoore@hotmail.com, or call 1-901-651-1440.