Page 2 - Nellis AFB Bullseye 11-6-15

2 November 6, 2015
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The importance of mentorship
By Lt. Col. Scott Linck
71st Student Squadron commander
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. —
When I worked at U.S. Africa Command,
the organization took steps to connect
its member countries and cultures, to
include referencing local proverbs dur-
ing meetings.
The most frequently mentioned saying
was, “If you want to travel fast, travel
alone; if you want to travel far, travel
together.”
This was an effective rallying cry that
reminded the various organizations
within the command that success wasn’t
measured by individual achievements,
but by the success of the entire team.
For any team to achieve sustained,
ever-increasing success it needs to do
more than just work well together. It
How CFC helps
By Maj. Neil Gregory
37th Flying Training Squadron
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE,
Miss. — The Combined Federal Cam-
paign is something I look forward to each
year. It is important to me because it eas-
ily permits me to support organizations
that raise awareness, funds research and
assists those afflicted by a rare genetic
disorder that runs in my family.
One of my older brothers and his son
both have the disorder. As my mother
was single and working hard to make
ends meet, money to pay for surgery
to straighten his spine and continuing
treatment would not have been possible
if it were not for charities supported by
military and civilian Airmen.
My brother lived for years with
chronic pain and ultimately lost his life
as a result of the obscurity of his illness.
Doctors were uninformed on how to
recognize and treat the rupture of one
of his arteries.
Fortunately, my nephew is receiving
better care, but the continuing cost of
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Commentary
needs a process to refresh and grow lead-
ers from within.
That process is mentorship. As defined
by Air Force Manual 36-2643, “Air Force
Mentoring Program,” mentorship is
“a relationship in which a person with
greater experience and wisdom guides
another person to develop both person-
ally and professionally. This relationship
will help achieve mission success and
motivate Airmen to achieve their career
objectives.”
Although mentorship has been
around for a number of years, it hasn’t
been widely implemented. This could
be due to high operations tempo, lim-
ited understanding of how to establish a
mentoring program, or frequent person-
nel changes.
Whatever the reason, it is time to
break the cycle where new personnel
medication and several major surgeries
he endured and will endure would not be
possible without continued research and
the generosity of donors to the charities
that defrayed much of the cost. My sup-
port for the CFC stems from my desire
to prevent anyone else from suffering
the way my brother, his son, and family
members around them have.
So why donate through the CFC? It
makes donating easy and fundraising
more effective. Before the CFC, indi-
vidual charities could solicit government
employees whenever and wherever,
supervisors in some cases picked chari-
ties and pressured employees to meet
arbitrary goals, and funds raised for
charities were disappointingly low. The
system was a free-for-all, and both chari-
ties and employees were dissatisfied with
the process.
Established in 1964, the CFC addresses
these issues by making the system vol-
untary, once a year, and provides a list of
reputable charities. The fact that donors
can have funds deducted directly from
their pay further increased contributions.
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struggle with the same issues faced by
those that came before. Leaders need
to establish meaningful connections
with subordinates to foster and develop
the diverse strengths, perspectives, and
capabilities of all Airmen.
These connections are arguably more
critical in a time of fiscal austerity and
shrinking force structure. Each remain-
ing Airman becomes more important,
increasing the need for leaders to develop
structured programs to pass wisdom,
information, and advice.
Where to begin? AFMAN 36-2643
provides the basic information needed
to establish a mentoring program. It
outlines the roles of mentor and mentee,
how communication is passed between
the two parties, suggests goals for the
program, and provides links to addi-
tional resources.
Since the first campaign in 1964,
federal employees have donated more
than $7 billion for the charities and
causes near and dear to them. This
year, you can choose from more than
22,000 participating charities.
I encourage you to consider giv-
ing through the CFC for a number
of reasons, but the biggest reason is
because it shows all Americans that
federal employees care about our com-
munities.
status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other
The deadline for submissions to the Bullseye is
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to desired publication date. Briefs are due no later
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From there the path is up to you. For
example, the 71st Student Squadron es-
tablished a mentoring program centered
between flight commander and student
pilot. They meet five times during train-
ing; essentially having a conversation
each time the student transitions to or
from each training phase.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly
positive, with participants reporting
they are consistently learning new things
about themselves and the Air Force;
preparing the mentees to successfully
assume future leadership roles.
Mentoring is best defined as a process
of engagement. No one can mentor with-
out connection. Leaders must actively
seek out opportunities to establish these
connections to ensure that all members
of the Air Force team are prepared to
“travel far and travel together.”
Charities that do not receive pledg-
es will not receive CFC funds. You can
decide how much to contribute and
which participating organization re-
ceives your contribution. If you chose
to donate or have questions about
the process, please reach out to your
squadron CFC keyworkers.
These donations make a huge dif-
ference to so many folks locally and
internationally, and you can choose
who specifically to help.
articles must include a byline (author of the story).
For all submissions, a name and phone number of a
person to contact must be included in the event questions
arise.
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and conformity to the Associated Style Guide, to include
military ranks and proper writing etiquette.
Corrections: The Bullseye staff members strive for
accuracy each week. If you notice an error in fact, contact
the Bullseye staff at (702) 876-4039, or e-mail bullseye@
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correction when appropriate.