Employment fair introduces job hunters to Mildenhall, Lakenheath opportunities

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Eric Petosky
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  More than 90 job seekers hit pay dirt for information on jobs at both RAFs Mildenhall and Lakenheath Feb. 28 during an employment fair at the Bob Hope Community Center here. 

Representatives from both the 100th and 48th Mission Support and Services Squadrons offered applicants information about position availability and their application processes for both civilian personnel and non-appropriated fund positions. 

Lt. Col. Jerry Couvillion, 100th MSS commander, said the collaborative effort between the mission support and services squadrons is just one example of how the merging of the two squadrons this summer into the new force support squadron will be beneficial. 

"It's great to meet people and see what's out there," said Betsy Smith. "I'm doing the transition phase and exploring my options. There's a lot of great info. It will keep me busy, especially since my husband is deployed." 

Mrs. Smith is married to Maj. Richard Smith, 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander. She separated from the Air Force in August of 2007 after eight years of service, and they arrived at Mildenhall last December. 

"We are very pleased with the turnout we had," said Lt. Col. Couvillion. "For some it was quite timely. We actually had applicants visit us today who arrived in the U.K. less than 48 hours ago." 

The 100th MSS Civilian Personnel Flight hopes to fill 16 positions and the 100th SVS NAF Human Resources Office is looking to fill 25 jobs that are currently vacant on Mildenhall. 

Their primary target audiences are military spouses and family members - new hires for base jobs that provide service to the Mildenhall community in more ways than one. There have been specific hiring deficiencies at the child development center and youth center. 

"It's important to maintain minimum numbers of staff in order to keep rooms open," said Maj. Tammy Hinskton, 100th SVS commander. "If Airmen don't know where their kids are or they are worried about paying for a provider off base, they can't take care of the mission. 

"The employment fair allows one-on-one contact between job seekers and employers," she said. "The more comfortable an applicant is, the more likely they will apply. We're building a relationship with prospective employees." 

For those who missed the employment fair, plans are in the works for another one in September.