Top 3 hosts speed mentoring

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Frank Casciotta
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Senior NCOs from across Vance gathered in the Crazy Horse Enlisted Lounge at the Vance Collocated Club and offered their knowledge and experience to junior NCOs and airmen during a Speed Mentoring session Aug. 14.

The 23 Airmen who attended the session had the opportunity to pick the brains of the nine volunteer mentors for nuggets of Air Force knowledge.

"It's our job to know what's going on in the Air Force," said Master Sgt. Wardell Henning, the 71st Operations Support Squadron Radar and Approach Control assistant chief controller and event coordinator. "This creates a non-threatening environment for us to share what we've learned throughout our careers and share that knowledge with the future leaders of the Air Force."

Mentees came seeking advice for mending blemishes on their records, preparing for promotion to the senior NCO tier and other questions geared toward enjoying a successful Air Force career.

Mentees were paired with mentors at random and rotated between mentors every five minutes, similar to a speed dating event.

"I was curious about how (the mentors) got to where they are," said Senior Airman Ebony Simmons, a 71st OSS weather forecaster. "I came into the Air Force to serve my country for six years. Now, I'm ready to serve for 30 and hopefully make chief someday. I cannot imagine a better way to serve Airmen, and that's what I want to do."

For Master Sgt. Denise Miller, the 71st OSS NCO in-charge of air traffic training, mentoring is an opportunity to meet Airmen she would otherwise not encounter.

"I think this is a good platform for us to get to know Airmen around base and give them new perspectives based on our varied experiences," she said.

The event was a first for Airmen here, but many more mentors are looking to share their experiences with a new group of mentees.

"It was an excellent event, and we are going to try to do this every quarter," said Henning.