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AF 'chatters' save an Airman half-a-world away

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Bob Blauser
  • Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFRS) --  Air Force Recruiting Service online advisors, or "chatters," lean on their extensive experience as former recruiters to answer up to 4,000 questions here each week which helps generate leads for Air Force recruiters. Craig Black had only been part of the chatter team for about one month, but when he recently noticed an e-mail addressed to AirForce.com, he quickly realized it was something way out of the ordinary.
 
It came from a distraught Airman at an overseas base, suggesting that she may try to harm herself.
 
"As soon as I read it I knew it was serious because of what she was saying," said Mr. Black, who recruited for over 11 years. "I knew I had to respond." 

Mr. Black immediately enlisted the help of his team leader, Max Sellers, a former 12-year recruiter. Within minutes the situation was directed to division leadership and the first sergeant.
 
Mr. Sellers said the distraught Airman then came onto AirForce.com to chat with someone, and it happened to be him who responded.
 
The chatters sent for one of Recruiting Service's accession chaplains, who conveniently work just five doors down the hall.
 
"The chaplain stood over me making sure I was doing the right thing as we chatted," said Mr. Sellers. "Just him being there helped reassure what I was saying."
 
Chaplain (Capt.) Lance Giannone said the most important thing to consider when dealing with a situation where someone is thinking of hurting themselves is to keep the person engaged.
 
"Mr. Sellers did a tremendous job of calming the Airman down until help got to her," Chaplain Giannone added.
 
Mr. Sellers said while he made idle chit-chat with the Airman, he tried to get information from her to help pinpoint her location. During the hour-and-a-half ordeal, he simultaneously fed the information over the phone to the command post at the Airman's base.
 
"While I was chatting with her and talking to the command post, I could hear communication and radios in the background," Mr. Sellers said. "There was a high pitch in everybody's voice." 

The command post there coordinated a response with medical, security forces and chaplain agencies, where they soon found the Airman unharmed. 

"We're here in Texas, and this was happening at exactly the same time across the world," said Mr. Black. "It happened through the chain of command, it all came together and everything worked like it should. Not every day working as a chatter is as rewarding as this one was."