Summer Hires flood Laughlin

  • Published
  • By Ryan Wilson
  • 47th Flying Training Wing
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- --  This summer, Laughlin was flooded with students belonging to a program called Summer Hire. The program shows students what the military does, provides work experience and helps different offices around base with various duties.

"The program started in December of 1994 because the Office of Personnel Management revised its regulations regarding student employment programs," said Justin Kippenberger, human resources technician, 47th Force Support Squadron. "The new program was called the Student Education Employment Program; it consolidates 13 former student hiring authorities into one streamlined authority consisting of two components: a student temporary employment component and a student career experience component."

Participants are allowed to work 20 hours per week, in any combination of days and shifts, and when they aren't working they can enjoy the gym, bowling center and the golf course.

The tasks Summer Hire employees are given ultimately depend on the office they are assigned to and what the office staff delegates to them.

"Mainly they are clerks, recreation aids or laborers," said Kippenberger.

Rebecca Gomez is a summer hire working for the Military Personnel Flight. She is 17 and will be a senior at Del Rio High School. This is her first time as a summer hire, and she enjoys her job, she said.

"We both benefit, it's a win-win situation." said Gomez "The summer hires get money, work experience and learn what its like to be in the military or at least the work environment of a military office. The offices we work for get someone to help out with some of the work they have to do."

The program is a great learning experience for the students.

"Probably the thing I will most likely use later in life is how to conduct myself in a professional work environment," said Gomez.

"I would definitely recommend this to all students," she said.

The summer hire program runs from June 11 through August 18.