The 187th Fighter Wing hosted the first speed mentoring opportunity for interested Red Tails here, yesterday.

The event featured roughly 20 senior enlisted Airmen rotating around tables to provide 12-minute guidance on a variety of Air Force topics, supporting the mentorship priority established by the wing leadership team.

“We want to embrace mentorship as a key part of our culture at the 187th,” said Senior Master Sgt. Matthew Payne, the wing’s human resources advisor. “Our mentees have the opportunity to build a lasting relationship with our mentors, enabling long-term guidance that stems from their brief sessions here. Growth is key to success in the military, and what this does is help our Red Tails family lean on our in-house experience while we all continue to grow.”

Nearly 50 Airmen took part in this new wing venture. Each person had the opportunity to speak with four senior enlisted leaders, each focusing on a different topic related to their experience. 

“I wanted to come here and have this opportunity to better myself,” said Airman 1st Class Chris Givins, a 187th Operations Group technician. “The guidance and tips that I was able to pick up today are really going to help me moving forward. I’m looking forward to coming to more of these and learning from more people who have been around and can help me get to where they are now.”