OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — By the time the recruiters get back to their base in Nevada, some airmen now serving in South Korea could be on their way to coveted jobs with the Air Force Thunderbirds air demonstration team.

A three-member recruiting party from the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Team at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., arrived here Thursday morning to recruit enlisted airmen to fill job openings in the squadron.

The Thunderbirds’ sparkling white F-16 jet fighters are known worldwide for the intricate high-performance formations and flying stunts they pull off at air shows in the United States and abroad.

But only eight of the squadron’s members are pilots. Another four are officers, but about 120 are enlisted airmen whose jobs run the gamut from F-16 crew chief to personnel clerk to photographer.

The recruiters started Thursday morning with visits to the various maintenance units within Osan’s 51st Fighter Wing, and continued the visits Friday.

They checked in with the unit leaders and asked them to point out candidates.

“We always ask, ‘Who’s your sharpest guy/gal,’” said Senior Master Sgt. Johnny Biggs, Thunderbird flight chief.

Besides talking to those airmen, the recruiters also attended maintenance shift roll calls and made brief pitches to the airmen before they started work.

“If they’re interested, we get an information card, we take all their info down and answer any questions they may have, give them a snapshot of what it’s like on the team, and how the process works.”

Recruiters also invited interested airmen to attend a slide presentation that gives a further picture of life with the Thunderbirds, Biggs said.

Excellent job skills are a big part of what they look for, he said.

“Especially for the crew chiefs, really … a tough job, and they have to be very good in their career field,” Biggs said.

A good appearance is another factor in selection for the Thunderbirds, Biggs said.

“That’s a big thing,” he said, “how they look in their uniform … a lot of places, we’re the first impression that people get of the Air Force.”

“You know, we go to some small town somewhere and that’s a lasting impression” on the people there, Biggs said. “Also our main goal is to recruit,” for the Air Force, “so we want to be professional, and that includes our appearance.”

The squadron’s air show season runs from March to November. While half the team attends airshows, the other half remains at Nellis, performing maintenance on spare aircraft and conducting tours of the Thunderbirds museum.

Those selected for a special-duty assignment with the Thunderbirds serve a three-year controlled tour at Nellis.

— Application information is available by contacting Staff Sgt. Butch Lagred at DSN 682-2278 or by e-mail at: anthony.lagred@nellis.af.mil

— Information is available on the Internet at: www.airforce.com/thunderbirds