Reenlist or separate? CAA can help with choices Published July 29, 2007 By Tech. Sgt. Kristina Newton Public Affairs Hurlburt Field, Florida -- There's a man on base whose job is to help active-duty military members with very important decisions that could change their lives forever. Senior Master Sgt. David Ceurvels, an aerial gunner by trade, is the 1st Special Operations Wing career assistance adviser and has filled this position for two years. He's responsible for educating personnel eligible for reenlistment on the opportunities available to them by remaining in the Air Force. He then reports to the wing how well it's meeting the Air Force's standards of retention. "My main targets are people who are on the fence about staying in the Air Force," Sergeant Ceurvels said. "They're under the impression they can move to civilian life and maintain the same lifestyle." Sergeant Ceurvels gives a briefing once a month called the Airman Retention Marketplace Evaluation Decision briefing. The ARMED briefing compares an Air Force staff sergeant with ten years of service to the civilian counterpart. "When military compensation is considered, the Air Force member makes about $17,000 more than the civilian counterpart," he said. "That's liquid income to spend on whatever you want. "There are always opportunities for growth within the Air Force, and the grass isn't always greener on the other side," he added. The CAA can also assist members who are close to reenlisting but may have problems with career job reservations; he can direct those members to points of contact for issues such as retraining and special duty assignments. Another situation Sergeant Ceurvels sees a lot is someone who can't look beyond their current assignment. Sergeant Ceurvels said he doesn't want someone to run away from a good career simply because they don't like their job or someone they work with. "Young Airmen need to make sure they don't make decisions based on emotion," he said. "Supervisors need to become fully involved in the process of retaining and cultivating their troops." The second part of the CAA is professional enhancement of NCOs. The CAA provides a leadership enhancement and development seminar for staff sergeants, to teach leadership, motivation, counseling communication and enlisted pride. The CAA also provides a senior NCO enhancement seminar that teaches sergeants what they need to know to make the grades of E-8 and E-9. Chief Master Sgt. Jeffery Richardson, 1st SOW command chief, explained why the CAA is such an important position. "The CAA provides critical expertise and guidance to the enlisted force regarding their professional development and career options," Chief Richardson said. "The thing I would like to stress to active-duty members is to take charge of their careers and make informed decisions," Ser-geant Ceurvels said. For more information, call 884-3912.