The U.S. Air Force hosted an information session during lunch Wednesday outside the counselor offices. The session aimed to inform Whitman students on careers and opportunities in the Air Force after graduation.

The table featured a variety of paraphernalia and informative pamphlets on electronic and mechanical careers as well as education and security benefits.

Junior Caroline Maurer said career events like the Air Force information session are essential in exposing students to a diverse range of career paths.

“A lot of the time people only go for jobs everybody knows about, like a doctor, for instance, but they might not actually know what they want to do,” Maurer said. “These information sessions could be the reason someone falls in love with a job.”

The minimum qualification to join the Air Force is a score of at least 31 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, which assesses applicants from grades 10-12 on spatial, science and technical, math and verbal skills. However, many Air Force recruiters seek applicants over a score of 50 — a higher standard than both the Army and Navy. The Air Force also has strict regulations on medical conditions, seeking those who meet specific health standards.

Air & Space Force Recruiter Hoang Quan Duong explained to prospective Air Force applicants that the Air Force offers over 200 career paths, including intelligence, health and medicine, computer science and engineering, and said the biggest misconception is that joining the Air Force means flying aircraft.

“In reality, it’s only maybe a few thousand pilots in the Air Force,” Duong said. “And we are 500,000 people — we still need a lot of people who work around the aircraft, like mechanics, refueling and more.”

After fulfilling enlistment with the Air Force for around four years, employees can use their certification to apply for civilian jobs in the aerospace industry at various companies, such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and United Airlines.

The Air Force recently selected Duong for the Language Enabled Airman Program. After 10 years of service, he will be sent to work as an international affairs specialist in a foreign embassy.

Freshman Silvie Gomez attended the session and said she is considering pursuing a career as a pilot in the Air Force. 

“The Air Force opens doors for a lot of jobs, not just specifically for being a pilot,” Gomez said. “I’m excited to learn about how you can gain a lot of other skills from the Air Force.”