BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- This is the first installment in the Build Your Legacy series, where we sit down with recruits who have enlisted to find who influenced them to join and how. The series is designed to help veterans better understand what recruits want to know about life in the Air Force Reserve.
Jason Henderson took his oath to join the Air Force Reserves on May 24, 2023, and is currently training in the 307th Bomb Wing Development and Training Flight. After graduating high school, the Dallas native enrolled as a computer engineering major at Texas Tech. He recently took time out of his busy unit training assembly schedule to discuss the person who influenced his decision to join the AF Reserve.
Q: What military member influenced you to join?
A: “My cousin is the one who influenced me to join. He is a retired Marine who now teaches gun safety classes on military installations. He would show me and my friends his collection of guns and share his stories from his time in the service. That’s what jumpstarted my interest in joining.”
Q: What were some things they did or said that impacted your decision?
A: “My cousin told me about how when he retired, it set him up for the rest of his life. He’s living in a nice house in a nice neighborhood, and he said that they paid for his schooling and told me about all the benefits he was getting.”
Q: Why did you decide to join the Air Force Reserves?
A: “I looked at all the benefits that me and my family would receive and wanted to do something for everybody. And I felt that it was the right thing to do at the time.”
Q: What advice would you have to service members about talking with a potential recruit?
A: “Start with the younger generations and tell them that the military isn’t all violence. Let them know that they won’t always be yelled at and mistreated. Then talk about all the different benefits you receive and all the experiences you have gained.”