CCAF a powerful weapon system in recruiting arsenal Published July 17, 2009 By Staff. Sgt. Brannen Parrish Air University Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- How do Barnes Center organizations contribute to Air Education and Training Command's ability to accomplish its educational mission? One of the center's organizations attracts young men and women before they step into a flight room or enter basic training. Staff Sgt. Charly Moreau, from the 349th Recruiting Squadron, can attest to the impact of the Community College of the Air Force on her job. A recruiter in Wichita, Kansas, she talks to men and women in the 'American Heartland' on a daily basis. In the mission to enlist the best and brightest, she finds herself competing not only with other service recruiters but with colleges and universities. "A lot of the people I talk to weigh going to college against joining the Air Force. Most of them want to go to school at some point," she said. "They want to get an education to better themselves so they can have a career later in life." A 2008 survey of basic trainees backs up Sergeant Moreau's experience. The Basic Military Training Survey, conducted by the Air Force Recruiting Service, reports 98 percent of enlistees desire an Associate's or higher level degree. In order to counter misperceptions about the military being a place for people who are uneducated, Sergeant Moreau tells prospects about the opportunities made available by the Community College of the Air Force. The BMT survey shows education is the top reason for enlistment in the Air Force and enlistees are hearing about it from recruiters. Eighty-nine percent of recruits surveyed had heard of the Community College of the Air Force. "I tell them that if they focus and take advantage of CCAF they can be further along in their education in one year than many of their friends who go off to college. So many go to college for a year and quit after a semester and others who do graduate after several years have tens of thousands of dollars in college debt," said Sergeant Moreau. Based upon data from the U.S. Department of Education, the American Enterprise Institute on Public Policy released a paper entitled "Diplomas and Dropouts." The paper, released in May, found that about 45 percent of college students don't complete an undergraduate degree in six years. Some studies show that as many as 26 percent of college students do not return for their second year. Knowledge of CCAF has a positive impact on the prospect especially with the people who often wield the greatest influence. "It definitely helps with parents. They want their kids to get an education," said Sergeant Moreau. "It [CCAF] is one of the best resources we have. They like hearing about it and I like telling them about it."