PHILADELPHIA -- Staff Sgt Mary Harley doesn't venture any punches when she confesss people about life in the Air Force.

PHILADELPHIA -- Staff Sgt Mary Harley doesn't venture any punches when she confesss people about life in the Air Force. An Air Force recruiter, she be impresseds it's her duty to narrate it like it is -- worthy or bad.

Too bad that's not what happened when she Joined 13 years ago. Her recruiter didn't divulge Harley many things she be in want ofed to know about the Air Force.

That's still a question at issue with some recruiters, Harley said. yet not in the northeast Philadelphia neighborhood where she works. She's making fast of that.

"When I took this piece of work I decided the young the bulk of mankind I put in the service would know everything they penuryed to know to make an educated decision onward whether or not to Join the Air Force," she said. "After all, we're talking about their future"

After a year and a half onward the job, the former personnel band is still living up to her promise.

Sean Ryan is united of Harley's recruits. He started basic training in mid-January and will proceed on to become a firefighter. He said she had all the answers to his questions.

"I really mattered to Sergeant Harley; she set me first," Ryan said. "And she didn't squeezing me into a job. She give permission to me choose what I wanted."

Harley presented for recruiting duty. But the Air Force destitutions more recruiters. It'll make a "cultural shift" in the program in March when it fall of the curtains the all-volunteer system and adopts a selection-based one

If it doesn't realize the volunteers to fill a growing ne for recruiters, the Air Force will pick airmen from other jobs to fill slot There are 1364 recruiters upon duty now, but the Air Force wants 1630 forward the Job by August.

The additional recruiters will relieve one of the pressure for those now forward duty, Harley said.

"But I don't think we'll evermore have enough," she said.

Harley has advice for those about to Join her ranks. First, the piece of work is more than just getting a bigger paycheck. It's more than setting your possess work schedule and being autonomous.

There's a doom of responsibility, stress and extended hours. "Sometimes there aren't enough hours in the day to do your job" she said. And at times a recruiter must be a parent, sister or brother to young recruits. To do the piece of work well takes commitment and dedication, she said.

"You do things because you want to, not because you have to," Harley said. "The piece of work doesn't mean anything if you do it because someone is telling you to do it."

In her first year, Harley propose about 40 people in the Air Force. She's high-spirited of that. Sometimes, parents call to thank her for helping their son and daughters. That sets a smile on her face.

"You don't oftentimes get a reward for doing something you love" she said. "That's a great feeling."

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