BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Two Airmen from the 307th Mission Support Group launched a new mentorship program here Jan. 10 to improve the efficiency of every Reserve Citizen Airman in the 307th Bomb Wing and help them pave a clear path towards career development.
The 307th MSG Mentorship Program format consists of three, 30-minute meetings providing information on everything an Airman should know at each stage of their career. A range of topics ranging from career development to writing enlisted performance reports for junior ranks and feedback for the senior ranks are included in the program.
“Airmen sometimes have road blocks that they don’t know how to get around,” said Chief Master Sgt. Frank Kuba, 307th MSG superintendent, who played a key role in putting the program together. “Mentorship is picking them up and saying, ‘let me show you where to go.’”
Col. Barry Crane, 307th MSG commander presented the mentorship program idea in August 2020. Since then, Kuba and Crane have worked hard to turn their vision into a reality.
Three mentorship sessions will be held every quarter, one each for junior enlisted, noncommissioned officers and senior NCO’s. Each Airman in the three rank tiers has the opportunity to attend a meeting four times per year.
Airman in the program will discuss challenges they’ve faced during their career, share wing-specific presentations and have advising sessions with unit leadership. It will also include a forum to ensure that messages are being exchanged between all three tiers.
Kuba said the main goal is for the Airmen to share any leadership idea or concern that will help others.
“Coming through the Air Force, there’s always Airmen who don’t have the tools or maybe don’t know the next steps to take,” said Kuba. “We want to touch base with every level, from senior and junior enlisted to Airman.”
The first meeting in January was for the senior enlisted tier, E-7 through E-9 ranks. The second one is scheduled for E-5 and E-6, and the last for E-1 through E-3. After each session, volunteers from the meeting will attend the next meeting to present and share ideas with those in the next tier.
“The great thing about the military is the continuity,” said Kuba. “We don’t have to recreate the wheel, but we can provide knowledge for the next level so that they can succeed.”
The program will also focus on ensuring that Airmen know how to find and utilize resources available to them. Kuba hopes to establish a local electronic database with information for the Airmen, and will even email the resources to them if needed.
“We have all of these programs and resources, but a lot of people don’t know how to access them,” he said. “We want to bring them to light and share them.”
Airmen interested in taking part in the program should contact their supervisor, first sergeant or call Chief Master Sgt. Kuba at 318-331-3984.