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At 6-foot-3, with brown hair and an athletic build, Tech. Sgt. Kyle J. Eddy
describes himself as an extreme extrovert who is out-going and loud, yet
laid-back. Coworkers of Eddy, a production recruiter and retainer with the
Nebraska Air National Guard’s 155th Force Support Squadron, see his big
personality too.
“Kyle’s got a very upbeat attitude at all times, and he consistently provides a
positive energy to the people around him,” said Tech. Sgt. Daniel J. Dibbern, a
production recruiter and retainer with the 155th FSS. “He’s very
happy-go-lucky.”
For someone who likes to talk to people, being a recruiter for the military is
the perfect job for Eddy. The job also gives him a chance to be a mentor to
those he interacts with.
“As a mentor for me, it’s a good image to have,” said Staff. Sgt. Devin T.
Davila, an administrative assistant with the 155th FSS. “I think if you’re
sulking around, and you hate your job, it kind of reflects on the shop, and
could bring down morale. But I see him highly motivated and it excites me and
motivates me to eventually, one day, become a recruiter as well, because I see
how much he loves it.”
Along with the busy life of a being a recruiter, Eddy finds time to engage with
his community by coaching basketball for middle school students.
Eddy was 18 when he joined the military as a member of the 155th Security Forces
Squadron. At the same time, he began to coach for the Millard Basketball
Association.
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April 2, 2017 - Tech Sgt. Kyle J. Eddy, a production recruiter and
retainer with the 155th Force Support Squadron, coaches basketball
with the Millard Basketball Association in Omaha at the 155th Air
Refueling Wing, Lincoln, Nebraska. Recruiting is a full time
position and a four year tour. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from
U.S. Air Force photos by Airman 1st Class Jamie C. Titus, Nebraska
Air National Guard)
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He said balancing the military and coaching is not too hard. The MBA has been
very supportive of his military responsibilities and deployments. For Eddy,
missing a half a season for a deployment was almost easier than missing one or
two games because of a drill weekend.
After eight years in the 155th SF and multiple deployments, Eddy decided to
become a recruiter, a four year tour that he hopes to extend. He was sent to the
Production Recruiting School at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio,
Texas, and he has been a recruiter for a little over year.
Eddy said recruiting is a full time job, with many demands, and there is no such
thing as a typical day at the office. Eddy said he is either in the office or on
the road. When he is in the office, he said he meets with applicants, answers
phone calls, or answers any questions about benefits offered to those in the
military. He added that more than fifty percent of his days are spent on the
road, whether it’s for a job fair in Scottsbluff, or a mock interview at a high
school in Omaha. In September, he spends nights in hotels making his way around
rural areas of Nebraska for job fairs. He said, the biggest challenge he sees is
that most people know very little about the Air National Guard.
“He goes above and beyond when it comes to recruiting,” said Master Sgt. Jeremy
J. Dean, the recruiting and retention manager for the 155th FSS. “As far as
working with individuals, the events that he plans and goes to and getting out
into the community lets everyone know the Air National Guard exists. He’s the
type of person that when he puts his mind to something, he follows through.”
With this busy schedule, Eddy works hard to balance his work and coaching.
Eddy has now coached with the MBA for nine years. He said he loves working with
kids and teaching kids to plays sports such as basketball, volleyball and flag
football.
“I love sports,” said Eddy. “I absolutely love athletics and I think that
especially in today’s age where kids are getting caught up with the wrong
things, I really think sports, or different clubs are their saving grace in high
school and middle school and is one of the reasons I made it through with a
‘clean nose.’”
The kids he coaches range from sixth-graders to eighth-graders who plan to go to
Millard-West High School in Omaha, Neb. Eddy spends four to five days a week in
the evenings coaching. Time is spent practicing drills such as dribbling,
shooting, and footwork along with playing against other teams in the program.
The kids on his team get to know him pretty well and he said that his team knows
to give 100 percent in practice because there is no toleration for lack of
effort. Eddy uses the 30 minutes of team time to build a relationship with the
kids.
“I want to explain to them that basketball is a cool thing but not a lot of them
are going to play at the college-level or past that so it’s really about making
them a better person,” said Eddy. “I try to have more leadership and influence
on them than I do on trying to teach them the X’s and O’s.”
Eddy said that he starts to build a relationship with the kids’ parents so that
he knows how they are doing outside of practice in school or at home. He said
that the parents are pretty open to telling him their kids’ struggles, like if
they are doing poorly with their grades or experiencing bullying.
To some of the kids on Eddy’s team, he might be the best adult influence they
have in their life. He understands that some kids are pretty squared away while
others might need help in their personal life. He said that the biggest problem
for the kids in their home life is often divorce. Basketball is their place to
go and be themselves without worrying about the turmoil at home.
His guidance and impact with kids stretches beyond the basketball court as he is
also involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midland program in Omaha.
Shaping futures both on the court and in the military, Eddy strives to be a
positive guide to those he coaches and recruits.
“I think that everyone can have a job but I think having a little more purpose
with everything, leaving the world better than what you found it, is always
good,” said Eddy. “So if I can make a difference in other people’s lives,
awesome.”
By Airman 1st Class Jamie Titus, Nebraska Air National Guard
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2018
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