Recruiter goes in circles with enlistee

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Carlos Trevino
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Life is a circle as 433rd recruiter Tech. Sgt. Michael Barnes discovered when he signed a prize recruit.

That recruit was Robert Caldera, a traffic officer with the San Antonio Police Department. Last year, Caldera started to think about joining the military - again. The first time he served nine years in the Army. This time he wanted something different.

This time he chose the Air Force Reserve. His sister was in the Air Force and he talked to fellow SAPD officers who were also Air Force Reservists. They all spoke highly of the Air Force Reserve.

Their recommendations, along with travel opportunities, job training, retirement benefits and camaraderie, convinced him to reenlist, this time in the Air Force Reserve. Caldera talked to a recruiter earlier that year, but wasn't swayed. At first Caldera was interested in reentering the intelligence field as a Reserve Individual Mobilization Augmentee.
"It took nine years to figure out" that the Air Force Reserve was for him he said.
Nine years and a recruiter he knew from his Army days.

The two friends, whose careers crossed paths numerous times in the past 17 years, were recently reunited last December when Caldera decided to call the Air Force Reserve Recruiting office one more time. Sergeant Barnes answered that call.

The voice on the other end of the line sounded familiar. Expecting to talk to a young recruit with no experience, Sergeant Barnes' first question, after asking the caller's name, was if he was prior service. When he said yes, and that he had been in the Army, Sergeant Barnes asked him what career field.
"Nine years in the intelligence field," the caller responded.
"Do you know who this is?" the excited Barnes asked. "It's Michael Barnes," he told him.

In 1990 both men had started in the intelligence career field in the Army at Ft. George G. Meade, Md. A few years later, they were both sent for Non-Commissioned Officer training at Ft. Huachuca, AZ. Then in 1995, both trained at Ft. Sam Houston in the medical field. Caldera got out of the Army in 1997.

As the two became reacquainted, Barnes found Caldera an opening in Air Transportation, something different than his civilian job of "handling accidents and writing tickets," Caldera said.

"Things happen for a reason, this was unique," Sergeant Barnes said. "It goes to show you that it is a small world. This is a complete circle; it was the icing on the cake."