Peterson Reserve unit holds first speed mentoring session

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tiffany Lundberg
  • 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 302nd Maintenance Group picked the brains of various senior leaders during a speed mentoring session here Nov. 4. 

Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Anthony, the 302nd Maintenance Group superintendent, was inspired to coordinate the session after attending similar events. It wasn’t just about career advice though. For the mentors, it was a chance for them to meet with their Airmen face-to-face and learn about their concerns too. 

The sessions between the mentors and mentees were broken into roughly five-minute intervals, often ending in an exchange of information to continue conversations later on. Chief master sergeants, first sergeants, Stripes for Exceptional Performers promotees and prior-enlisted officers from across the 302nd Airlift Wing volunteered for the event offering to share their knowledge and personal experiences with the attendees. 

“It’s wonderful to have people like this willing to take time out of their day to do an event like this for us,” said Senior Airman Sarah Dean, a 302nd MXG personnelist. “It’s inspiring to know we have leaders like this here.” 

The reservists came prepared with various questions including commissioning, retraining, and rank progression while balancing their family life and civilian employment. Some of the senior leader mentors brought handouts on goal setting and professional military development schedules and opportunities. 

“Today’s event was very successful,” said Senior Master Sgt. Patrick Tasca, the 302nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron flight chief, former first sergeant and one of the mentors at the event. “I had a lot of Airmen asking good questions about their career development and progression. But they weren’t just thinking about the next rank, they were thinking about two, three, four ranks ahead.”

Based on the feedback they received from reservists seeking advice, enlisted wing leadership plans to host more mentoring sessions in the future. 

"Moving forward, I want to continue to hold these workshops and bring in more members of the other squadrons to participate," said Chief Master Sgt. Kahn Scalise, the 302nd AW command chief, who also attended the event as a mentor. “It's great for the Airmen to get career development advice, mentorship, and I am in full support of this initiative.”