Your San Antonio Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Council met last week at Port San Antonio's Headquarters to highlight military recruiting initiatives, needs, and challenges across the services. Recruiting continues to be the lifeblood of our nation’s fighting forces, and the past few years have seen many factors affect the overall success of bringing in the next generation of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardians. The topic is one of the Chamber’s Military Affairs highest priorities for the coming year, and we were honored to host representatives from our Army, Navy, and Air Force partners to discuss how we can support their efforts.
Our presenters included:
- COL Xavier Colón, Commander, U.S. Army 5th Recruiting Brigade
- CDR Stephanie Simoni, Commanding Officer, Navy Talent Acquisition Group San Antonio
- Lt Col Jason Turner, Chief, Operations Division, Air Force Recruiting Service
- Chief Master Sergeant Antonio Goldstrom, Command Chief Master Sergeant, Air Force Recruiting Service
More than 60 representatives from the Alamo Region joined the conversation in person and virtually to include Joe Bray, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, and Jack Hebdon, Civic Leader for the United States Air Force and Space Force. Rick Crider, EVP Airport Railport & Military Relations at PortSA and 2023 Military Affairs Council Chairman, facilitated the panel discussion where each representative began with the status of recruiting for their respective branch of service and then a question-and-answer session followed.
Specific items to note were support for the members who serve as recruiters for the military in our communities, assisting them with their unique challenges and helping them to integrate into the community where future service members and their families live, work, and play. Educating the civilian population on the benefits of service to our nation, communicating the great value proposition of those who serve to include educational opportunities, world-class healthcare, and economic and financial stability, ensures that the future of our armed forces will be strong and secure.
“San Antonio is Military City USA, and our region has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with our military missions. It is critical that we all become advocates for recruiting our future forces not only for the impact it has on national security, but because it is our privilege and responsibility to support future generations of military service members,” says Lori Stinson, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce’s Vice President of Military Affairs and Leadership Development. “We look forward to continuing to offer recruiters and military leaders opportunities to attend our events and engagements this year and beyond.”
For more information on how to support military recruiting or attend a Military Affairs Council meeting, email Lori Stinson.