CHARLESTON AFB, S.C. –
As a Senior NCO one of the greatest opportunities we have is being able to mentor and guide our subordinates. Mentoring someone is not a hard and tedious task; all you have to be is genuine in your concerns for people and take the time to share your experiences and knowledge.
In Air Force Instruction 36-3401, mentoring is defined as a "trusted counselor or guide." Now, you do not have to be a Senior NCO to mentor someone, because everyone has something they can teach. As my grandfather once told me, "you will never learn anything if you are always talking."
Let me share an experience I had with mentoring and how sometimes you can be someone's mentor and not really know it.
It was on a Tuesday when I began my day with a walk around the base clinic. One of my goals when I conducted my walkarounds of the clinic is stop and talk with people I have the opportunity to come in contact with when I saw on Airman I knew.
As we approached each other, I could see he took pride in his uniform. He had a sharp hair cut; boots that were not just polished but had a high-gloss shine to them, so I could tell he took the time to put a lot of effort in looking his best.
I asked him how his morning was going. He replied, "great sir" and we continued with our conversation.
I have talked with this Airman on several occasions in the past and each time I have learned something new about him every time we talked.
On this occasion, instead of talking, I just listened. This young man standing in front of me, looking sharp, great attitude, everything was "yes sir" and "no sir," always looking me in the eye as he spoke, and he shared a personal experience with me that today has impacted me and how I look at mentorship.
This young man was not always an airman basic and never worked in the dental career field before arriving here on Charleston AFB. He was a "return to duty" Airman.
Prior to his separation from the military, he realized his mistake and wanted to ask the Air Force for another chance.
He received notification that he would be given the opportunity to return and serve in the Air Force. It would not be easy for him though, he had to complete an extension of basic military training where he would have to demonstrate how badly he wanted to be in the military.
This Airman was then stationed at an unfamiliar base, in a job he had never done and working with people he knew nothing about. But he did not let that sway him. He continually demonstrated his thankfulness for the opportunity to once again serve his country by looking his best, mastering his job and trying to learn as much as he could about his new career field.
On this day, this Airman mentored me. I thanked him for sharing his story with me. He is now at another duty station serving in our Air Force and I know his heart is in the right place. He will do great things as he progresses in his career.
Sometime mentors are not picked, they are chosen. Often, there are times you can be someone's mentor and not even know it. Everyone has something to teach. As the Air Force instruction states, "mentoring" is a relationship in which a person with experience and wisdom guides another person to develop both personally and professionally.
My message is simple; any Airman can be a mentor. Like me on that day, you too can go from being a mentor to becoming a mentee.