Byesville Rotary learns Air Force offers exciting career opportunities

Pictured: and Shana Fair, Byesville Rotary President, Russell Jeffries, speaker, and Oziel Jeffries, Speaker Host.

 

Jonathon “Russell” Jeffries spoke to Byesville Rotary and a group of Meadowbrook students about career opportunities in the Air Force. Jeffries stated that he enlisted in the Air Force in 1991. He began his military career as a Korean linguist. While being a linguist may not sound like an exciting career, Jeffries pointed out that his mission was to listen to Korean radio transmissions and analyze the transmissions for any intelligence data. In time, he began to plan strike missions. He eventually became an intelligence analyst.

Jeffries final job for the Air Force was at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). This organization, established in 1991, was a secret until 1993 when George W. Bush accidentally mentioned the NRO in a speech. While serving at the NRO, Jeffries began building information gathering satellites also known as “spies in the sky.” Jeffries pointed out that the NRO currently designs, builds, and launches all US intelligence satellites.

Jeffries explained that even though he retired from the Air Force in 2014, he still has an interesting and challenging job in the private sector. He is now working as a Chief Engineer for the Department of Defense. He qualified for his latest job because of the training and experience he gained in the Air Force.

Jeffries encouraged the young people attending the meeting to consider a career in the military. Using his career as example, Jeffries described how enlisting can not only lead to an interesting and challenging military career but also result in an equally interesting career in the private sector, Jeffries stated, :A new space age is coming. A career in the military can help a person develop the skill and the experience needed to become a part of the space industry.”

He stated that the space industries are looking for employees with math, science and engineering skills. He pointed out that the space industry also needs business managers, contracting officers, graphics designers, project managers, and people with skills in all types of technical trades. Jeffries also said that internships for students are often offered by the Dept. of Defense, the CIA, and their industry partners.

Matt Stemmer, a member of the Meadowbrook Interact service club, introduced himself. He hopes to enter the athletic training program offered at Bowling Green University and earn a degree in physical therapy. His goal is to work as an athletic trainer at a school.

Connect with Byesville Rotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the club’s meeting.