Airman's Council, 5/6 Alliance host Speed Mentoring

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Katrina Heikkinen
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  In hopes of fostering professional relationships through mentorship opportunities, the Malmstrom Air Force Base Airman's Council and 5/6 Alliance teamed up to host a Speed Mentoring event at the Grizzly Bend on Jan. 23.

Spearheaded by Airman 1st Class Angela Smith, 341st Comptroller Squadron financial technician and Airman's Council vice president, and Tech. Sgt. Elizabeth Ayala, 819th RED HORSE Squadron material testing NCO in charge and 5/6 Alliance Airman Mentorship Committee director, the event consisted of one-on-one, three-minute sessions amongst Airmen with NCOs and senior NCOs.

"When I first got here at Malmstrom, I didn't have a mentor," Smith said. "I didn't know who to talk to, so I started talking to certain NCOs. Airmen started coming up to me and asking me who my mentor was. One night I was watching a movie that had speed dating in it, and I thought, 'this would be a great idea for mentoring.'"

Having a mentor as an Airman in the U.S. Air Force is an important step in both professional and personal growth development, but finding a mentor within a chain of command can sometimes be difficult.

"I think this event is a great way for people to find what they need, which is a mentor that does not necessarily need to be within their chain of command or their squadron - it can be from outside of their unit and someone that they can relate to so that they can get good mentoring and advice," Ayala said.

The event provided an open forum for mentors to provide Airmen with additional knowledge and wisdom on any topics of their interest or concern.

"It's important to have a mentor in life - in both the military and civilian world," Smith said. "A mentor has the knowledge and experience to help lead and guide you down the right direction, especially if you're not sure what to do. I think it's really important, especially for Airmen."

The Airman's Council and 5/6 Alliance hope to provide future mentorship events on a quarterly basis.

"Ultimately, the event was a huge success," Ayala said. "It took the initiative of not only the mentors to step up, but the Airmen to step out of their comfort zone and seek further development. Questions ranged from what core value we hold the highest value to and as simple as what type of things are there for Airmen in the dorms to do in their free time. Some walked away with a long-term mentor, which is the goal. Without a doubt we will conduct more of these. We received nothing but positive feedback."

For Airman 1st Class Courtney Tyson, 341st Medical Support Squadron medical records technician, she found the event extremely beneficial.

"I learned a lot - I found out how different people have different perspectives," she said. "I think it's important to have a mentor because they teach and give wisdom to help you grow overall as a person. I will definitely be attending future mentoring events and will encourage as many Airmen as I know to attend. As one of the lowest enlisted ranks in the Air Force, we need all the help and guidance we can get."