AFA Salutes Air Force Recruiting Boss for his Leadership, Partnership

Brig. Gen. Bernie Skoch, USAF (Ret.), AFA’s Chair of the Board, presented a certificate of appreciation to Brig. Gen. Chris Amrhein, former Commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service (AFRS), for his leadership during AFRS’s dramatic improvement in Air Force and Space Force recruiting between 2023 and 2025.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to work with [AFA],” said Amrhein. “Thank you for your dedication. God bless you all.”

In addition to helping the Air Force rebound after falling short of all of its recruiting goals in 2023, Amrhein was central to forming AFRS’s official partnership with the Air & Space Forces Association. The collaboration between the two organizations is now known as AFA AIMS (Advocates to Inspire Military Service), which equips AFA members and chapters with the tools to actively support recruiting efforts in their communities by partnering with local recruiting squadrons.

“You’ve given us a chance to be a real partner, and we appreciate the opportunity,” Skoch told Amrhein in his remarks. “We recognize you for leading a great effort in turning recruiting around under your leadership. It’s an honor to have served with you in this effort, and we look forward to seeing and hearing from you for many more years.”

Amrhein shared that he has passed along his insights—especially regarding the AFA partnership—to his successor, Brig. Gen. Jeff “Jeeves” Nelson, who assumed command of AFRS and the Air Force Accessions Center (AFAC) on July 18.

The certificate was presented during a virtual CROSSTALK forum, a new, key initiative of AFA AIMS. The forum provides a platform for AFA Chapters to share success stories, build relationships with recruiting squadrons, and access practical tools and templates to guide their engagement.

“We’re not recruiters, but we can tell our stories and help inspire others,” said President of AFA’s East Georgia Chapter Laurie Orth, who is leading CROSSTALK for AIMS. She noted that some AFA Chapters already have longstanding relationships with recruiting squadrons, while others are just beginning.

CROSSTALK will continue as a recurring quarterly event, with the next session scheduled for September. Contact the AFA AIMS team using the form below to get involved.