New York City is the melting pot.

You’re never going to see the same type of person on any given day.

Recruiting here has been amazing just because it’s so diverse.

No two recruits are going to be alike.

I grew up in Long Branch, New Jersey.

After graduating high school, there was no way I could afford an education.

My mom working a job, trying to take care of three of us, it wasn’t going to happen.

So I went down, talked to a couple of recruiters.

And then now, here I am: a recruiter in one of the biggest cities in the world, New York City, just enjoying it.

Fernando.

Have a seat.

I became a recruiter because I’ve seen recruiters turn people around all the time and it’s just like, “Give them a chance.” You never know who deserves a chance or who doesn’t so you talk to them.

Do you remember which (inaudible)?

Yeah, it was aerospace.

Working on planes.

You know you made the right decision we got all the airplanes.

If they’re serious I’m here to help, but you got to be able to help yourself first.

Talk to me about some of the recruits that have come through.

Are there any that are really memorable?

Off the top, I’d say Golam Rabbi.

It seemed as if no recruiter would give him the time of day.

And it was only because he had a green card.

And it seemed as if nobody knew how to process a person with a green card.

Do me a favor, take off your boots.

For entry into the air force we have height-weight standards.

So for the height of 70.5, which I just recorded you at, your weight was 223.

The max allowable weight for entry is 197.

So if this is the route you want to go, you just need to drop a few pounds.

Nothing to get discouraged over, you just know you need to work at it.

The majority of time people come through the door, we don’t what you qualify for, you haven’t taken any test.

We don’t know what your medical, physical qualifications are and that’s a big factor.

Any medical issues that I need to know about?

No.

Wear glasses or contacts?

No, but I do have-- He used to wear glasses when he was young.

I have a seeing problem with my left eye.

You have a seeing problem with your left eye?

Yeah, it’s just blurry.

Did a doctor tell you had a seeing problem with your eye?

Every single person I talked to disqualified, bro.

Yeah, that dude’s disqualified he’s blind as a bat.

He’s got astigmatism.

I know.

My reasoning for enlisting that I chose it for education purposes and, to be honest with you, also to learn a trade because on the outside learning a trade is very expensive.

Who has the money for that these days?

So I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone.

Get an education and learn a trade.

Where I don’t have to come out of pocket for it.

Is everybody ready?

Yes, sir.

Let’s try this again.

Is everybody ready?

Yes, sir!

Are you guys happy to be here today?

Yes, sir!

That’s what I’m talking about, that’s what I’m talking about.

This afternoon, with people who have joined already, we’re gonna get with those guy and we’re gonna to a PT session.

What’s most important about today’s event, if they made this decision and they’re just around their friends and around their family, and some of their friends and family are sitting there looking at the news.

What they’re gonna do is they can either be discouraged, but if you surround them in an environment where they’re gonna see other people who are making the same decisions, they end up seeing, "okay I made the right decision."

And they see people who are doing the same thing and moving in the same direction as them.

For every one time I ask somebody a question, and you get it wrong, that’s a lap everybody is gonna run.

You know the airman’s creed?

I’m an American airman.

I’ve answered-wait.

I am an American airman.

I have answered-wait, one more time.

I am an American airman.

I, uh, shoot.

It’s a lot of different things that go through their mind.

Did I memorize this good enough to get by today?

Am I physically fit?

Because they’re gonna find out today.

I will never leave an airman behind.

I will never falter.

I will not fail.