ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Some people look for signs in life to join the Air Force - for Staff Sgt. Eddie Marquez, 316th Civil Engineering Squadron fire inspector, and soon to be recruiter, those signs were actual billboards.
"I was working as a supervisor at a hardware store and passed by signs advertising the Air Force on my way to work. If I needed a literal sign to join, there it was!" Sergeant Marquez said.
In joining the Air Force, Sergeant Marquez has had a lot of firsts - like his first flight aboard a plane when he went to MEPS in Utah or the first time he went east of Las Vegas, Nev. to go to boot camp in San Antonio, Texas.
"I saw the list of places to go and I put down as far east as I could and ended up here at Andrews," Sergeant Marquez said. "I'd never imagined seeing the White House in person - it's been an incredible experience and I want to share that with others."
A member of fire emergency services for eight years at Andrews, Sergeant Marquez decided to become a recruiter to make a difference.
Sergeant Marquez has a recruiter's instinct and drive. His first unofficial recruits were his sisters, who followed in his footsteps, joining the Air Force two years after his enlistment.
"I took them on a tour of Andrews and D.C. my first year I was out here and they signed up," said Sergeant Marquez. "They saw my life and how the Air Force had changed me."
"As a recruiter, selling the Air Force won't be a problem for me - it's a way of life," Sergeant Marquez explained. "I've received so much from the Air Force and it's an opportunity for me as a recruiter to be able to reach out to the youth in Santa Clarita (Ca.) and change lives. The Air Force has changed my life and I see a great opportunity to help change other lives, too."
As a fire inspector Sergeant Marquez has earned respect from those he works with.
"I think that Sergeant Marquez is rare among today's NCO culture and Airmen in general," said Senior Master Sgt. Christopher Parks (ret.), Fire Emergency Services Fire Prevention assistant chief. "Where for many, the Air Force might just be a 9 to 5 thing, Sergeant Marquez bleeds Air Force blue and you see a lot of traditional qualities in him. He believes in the Air Force and what he's selling to the general public. He has the right image, he's got the right attitude and he has the right fortitude to accomplish the tasks at hand."
Sergeant Marquez strives for perfection and works hard at everything he does - a trait he picked up from his grandfather, Raul. My grandfather taught me to lead by example," Sergeant Marquez said. "And that's something I carry with me to this day - even in my work as a fire fighter. I want to be the person that others say, 'that's the guy I want to go with me to fight the blaze.' I want to be the go to guy."
In selecting Sergeant Marquez as a recruiter, the Air Force may have found their 'go to guy.'