A new tenant has taken up shop in the Northway Plaza on Dixie Highway and White Lake Road.
U.S. Army and Air Force recruiting offices are open for business, recently moved from Pontiac, and young men and women are signing up.
‘I wanted to do something with my life,? said Alyssa Hubbard of Pontiac, who will use her training in the Air Force to become a mechanic.
‘I want to serve my country,? said Michael Cabic of Oxford, criminal justice student at University of Michigan in Dearborn.
Cabic, who is set for officer training, plans to make a career out of the military, he said.
‘It’s a good way to get training and serve my country,? said Jeff Holzer of Highland, who will learn utility systems diagnostics ? plumbing to civilians.
‘I want to get an education, serve my country, and travel the world,? said Derek Houle of White Lake.
Recruiting for the Air Force is Senior Airman Johnathon Zolnai. Station manager of the Army side of the building is SFC Thomas Twigg.
Zolnai grew up in Holt. He worked as a firefighter and paramedic for three years before joining the Air Force in 2003.
He trained at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia with its Contingency Response Group, trained in base defense, emergency response, and other combat duties.
He served three tours in Iraq over the past four years, for a total of about two-and-a-half years.
‘I loved it,? he said. ‘It’s a great country. We had all sorts of fun.?
For young men and women joining or already in the military, the country is at war ? Iraq is the place to go, he said.
‘When you’re in, you want to go there,? he said. ‘I’d go back in a heartbeat.?
Iraq was the ultimate test for his unit’s base-security mission, he said.
‘We aced the test,? he said.
After three years with the unit, he was due for a transfer. He trained as a recruiter, and will now serve the Clarkston area until 2010.
Twigg enlisted in 1992 at the Burton recruiting station. He served in Germany for five years, then volunteered for recruiter training.
He served as a recruiter in Indiana, and recruiting station manager in Flint before opening the Independence Township station.
With the Internet, young people are more informed than ever, and know Army service might mean combat duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. But they are still signing up, Twigg said.
‘The World War II generation is called the greatest generation ? this generation is right up there with them,? he said.
‘It’s a 100 percent volunteer force. It’s an awesome achievement and responsibility for this generation.?
Air Force recruitment has been steady ? the War on Terror doesn’t seem to have affected it much, Zolnai said.
‘The Air Force focuses on education ? it gives college credit for every bit of training,? he said.
‘We offer the high-speed technical training. We give people the best chance we can to better themselves.?
The Clarkston area has been very supportive, Twigg said.
‘A lady bought our meal,? he said. ?(Patriotism) is very evident in this area ? people shake our hands and thank us for our service.?
Recruitment area of responsibility includes City of the Village of Clarkston, Independence and Springfield townships, Ortonville, Pontiac, Troy, Rochester, Milford, Highland, and Farmington.
The new office is 7075 Dixie Highway, at White Lake Road. For Air Force recruitment information, call 248-625-1266. For Army information, call 248-623-8853.