The United States Air Force got a foothold in the Mount Vernon area recently when they cut the ribbon on a recruiting office at 7828 Richmond Highway in the Gum Springs area.

The location of the recruiting office is across Richmond Highway from the Gum Springs community. This could provide high school students in that area a military opportunity when they get out of school and could be seen as be another option in career development, along with the WISH center that opened a few years ago in a former racquet club building around the corner.

The nearby WISH center is in the old Mount Vernon Tennis and Racquet Club building. WISH stands for the

Workforce Innovation Skills Hub that offers training in industries that pay better than many retail and service-based jobs offered in the Richmond Highway corridor.

This Air Force recruiting facility is in the Franconia District where Supervisor Rodney Lusk (D-Franconia) is leading the way to provide career advancement training for the area residents. Lusk is supportive of the WISH career center and the career center in the old Mount Vernon High School. 

"One of my top priorities since taking office has been to provide young adults in the Franconia District with alternative pathways to success after high school. Military service can be an excellent opportunity for public service, education, and career development, and I believe an Air Force recruitment center on the Richmond Highway Corridor will help provide those opportunities," he said.

The ribbon cutting was chaired by the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce and featured Lt. Col. Adrian Zollinger of the USAF 317th Recruiting Squadron, along with other Air Force officials.