163rd RW recruiting staff opens new storefront near UCR Campus

  • Published
  • By Capt Kel Thede
  • 163 Reconnaissance Wing public affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  December 14th, 2011 was a truly historic day for the 163d Reconnaissance Wing. After operating for nearly six years at its first and only off base location, the recruiters bid farewell to their Day Street storefront in Moreno Valley, and moved to a suite in the University Village Shopping Plaza near the University of California Riverside (UCR) campus.

This is a tremendous step forward for Grizzly recruiting efforts since many of the wing's openings are high tech career fields requiring specific skill sets. The new location affords direct access to more than 16,000 students who are prime candidates for many of those specialities in the 163d and the California Air National Guard as a whole.

"We jumped at the opportunity to relocate the recruiting storefront to such a prime location near UCR because this location allows us greater visibility within the community and increases awareness of the opportunities in the Air National Guard," said Capt Rey Tanuwidjaja, 163 RW, personnel director.

Perhaps no one appreciates the great location more than the recruiter's themselves.

"Our relocation was more than just a physical move. It was an upgrade to our entire recruiting program," said Staff Sgt. Vance Jackson Jr, the 163d's newest recruiter. "This location, next to UCR, is ideal because it positions us right in the middle of the demographic that we are targeting. We are now going to be able to take our game to a whole new level."

As the New Year dawns the 163rd RW recruiters relish the many opportunities that 2012 has in store. There will undoubtedly be challenges as well. However, thanks to the vision and leadership of numerous wing members, having a top notch storefront to recruit from will not be one of them.

A phrase attributed to the late Lord Harold Samuel, a real estate tycoon from Britain, was once wisely observed -- 'There are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.' Without question the Grizzlies are now in a location for success for many years to come.