An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : News
JBSA News
NEWS | Jan. 20, 2022

Commentary: Mentorship, An Airman Perspective

By Senior Airman Shelby Pruitt 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

While mentorship seems like the Air Force’s latest buzzword, it’s my favorite part of being a service member.

Since I enlisted, the most common questions I hear from my peers are “What is a mentor,” “How do I find a mentor” and “Why is mentorship so important.”

I’ve realized not everyone is fortunate enough to have the leaders surrounding them that I have had. Because of this, I’ve made it a priority to give my insight and promote mentorship from a junior enlisted perspective.

Followers are invaluable

To state my feelings about mentorship in a few words, I came up with, “Senior leaders are valuable, but junior followers are INvaluable.”

We know senior leaders are extremely valuable. Their experience, wisdom and overall life experience are all reasons they are in senior leadership positions in the first place.

As for us junior followers, we are invaluable. Why? Because we are the future. We are the ones taking what senior leaders teach us and fighting future wars.

Airmen empowerment

I believe a lot of Airmen don’t see their importance in the Air Force, and therefore don’t prioritize mentorship. I want the junior enlisted tier to understand the power we hold at this moment in our careers.

Ultimately, if senior leaders fail to develop us, they fail the Air Force. They are doing a disservice to the total force by not investing in those who will be taking their place.

If generations of Airmen rose through the ranks without being mentored and molded, there would be no change or improvement in the force.

Mentors: Not only diverse, but infinite

I don’t think there is a clear definition of mentorship. It can be with whomever, about whatever, and whenever.

Gaining a perspective from outside your career field is some of the best insight you can get. An outsider’s view on the way other units do things, or how topics are discussed may be completely different from what you may be used to; that is where growth and innovation begin to spark!

Another unique perspective can be from the civilian workforce. Civilians are a group of individuals often overlooked when it comes to mentorship, just because they don’t share the same uniform. Typically, they are an unbiased source that can provide education, experience and tools that military members may not have.

Mentorship isn’t a one-way street

Mentorship from above is the most common form of mentorship. It allows personal experiences and wisdom to be learned and provides a role model to emulate as you develop.

On the other hand, Airmen, and the “subordinate” can mentor too. This is vital because we provide insight and feedback to the leaders who make the decisions about the Air Force in its entirety. Leaders need our innovative minds, our side of the story and our ingenuity to build a better force.

Don’t forget about mentoring laterally. Usually, Airmen relate to other Airmen, providing a safe zone for open conversation.

It's vital to prioritize developing each other, because ultimately, that is who you will end up working beside your entire career.

Mentorship can be personal or professional. There is no set list of topics that are supposed to be talked about. The purpose of mentorship is development, whether it be within the Air Force or not.

Building relationships easier than you think

Too often, I see programs that pick your mentor based on some impersonal questionnaire. With this, it’s a little more difficult to have a natural relationship where you can reap the benefits. A personal connection is necessary to form a lasting mentorship partnership!

The easiest way to start up the conversation and develop this relationship is to reach out and put yourself in opportunities to organically meet new people.

A few routes to seek mentorship are:

  • Facebook Groups (a few I’m a part of – there are TONS):
    • Voice for Military Women - Past and Present
    • Like-Minded Military Investments 
    • USAF Commissioning Mentorship
    • Leadership University 
    • AF Quarantine University 
    • Air Force Wingman Outreach
  • Private organizations:
    • Toastmasters
    • AFSA 
    • Airmen’s Council, Rising 5/6, Top 3, Chief’s Group
    • First Sergeants Council
    • Dorm Council
    • Unit Booster Clubs
       
  • Commander’s Calls
  • Off-duty events 
  • M&FRC Courses
  • Bullet Tracking, Mentor Connection, Course & Competencies, Development Goal Plans

It’s all up to you

On the topic of self-sufficiency, I want to mention something very important … although it is their duty to mentor and develop the lower enlisted force, senior leaders won’t and don’t have to help Airmen who do not care about themselves or the Air Force.

In other words … have initiative!

You’ve probably heard the following phrase at least once in your career: “The person that cares the most about your career is you.” This is very true. As junior enlisted Airmen, we may not have much control over anything, but we DO have control over ourselves. 

All this is to say that mentorship is important. And as Airmen, we have the ability and resources to seek mentorship anytime, anywhere, any place. It is our right and you best believe … I’m going to use it!

(Editor's note: The appearance of the names of certain organizations does not imply endorsement.)