Airmen should mentor, lead by example Published Nov. 22, 2006 By Lt. Col. Ronald Baldinger 71st Operations Support Squadron Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- As military professionals, an important part of our duty is to mentor those around us and in our charge. We do this as supervisors, instructors, trainers and superiors. Sometimes we mentor with conscious effort and sometimes people absorb our actions without us even realizing it. No matter our rank, position or specialty, we have the ability to professionally influence those around us by our daily efforts and actions. For supervisors and experienced Airmen, conscious, premeditated mentoring is critical. We must take the time to pull aside those we lead for just this purpose. There are many areas of discussion that can be addressed but it usually takes the initiative of the supervisor to put the topic on the table. Technical instruction, of course, can be a form of mentoring; however, I tend to think of this topic with a more general professional perspective. Leadership, followership and military pride can never be given enough emphasis to the Airmen we mold daily. Some of the most effective mentoring we do is accomplished by our everyday actions. From an instructional viewpoint, the instructor pilots in the audience know our students on their very first flight will do everything exactly as we do. They will put their helmet down exactly where we do, they'll set their cockpit up exactly as we do, and if we hum a tune every time before we start an engine, they will begin to hum a tune too ... just because we do. This is an extreme, but accurate, example (not that I have ever personally done any experimenting with impressionable student pilots), but it is the truth. All actions we perform as supervisors are under the microscope and we must be prepared to see their imitation. There are practices I maintain in my squadron I have picked up over the years by mere observation of the many officers, NCOs and airmen I have worked for and alongside in my career. Anyone in the 71st Operations Support Squadron will tell you if you are being promoted or receiving a decoration in our squadron, it will be done in service dress. If you are being promoted by me, you will ensure you have memorized the oath ... because I will raise my hand and recite it one time, from memory, with no stops ... and I expect my promotee to do the same. These are examples of practices I use to instill professional pride and commitment. They are important to me because I learned them by observing the actions of commanders I've respected. I'm certain those commanders don't know their actions have continued to live through me; that I have adopted them as my own, but I think of these personal mentors every time I use one of their examples. We all do things every day that people are watching and taking as their own, whether we know it or not. It is our responsibility to ensure everything we do is beyond reproach at all times. Take the time to mentor those around you. Focus your CGOs, NCOs and airmen on the professional qualities you know are important. Perform every action, on and off duty with the certain knowledge your example will be embraced by many who will soon follow your path.