Should the Air Force Establish a Formalized Mentoring Program

To assess the current level of mentoring in the Air Force a survey was given to a cross section of junior and senior level Air Force officers. The primary goal was to determine the prevalence of mentoring and also pose the question whether a formal mentoring program should be established. The students of Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College were surveyed, and were believed to be a valid representation of Air Force officer mentors and proteges. Of the officers surveyed approximately 40 stated they were mentored and 32 stated that they had mentored someone else. The vast majority concluded that they did not want a formal mentoring program, but felt that informal mentoring was acceptable and should continue. Over half of the junior officers concluded that there should be some level of education and training about mentoring. The view of the authors based on their research and the survey data concluded that mentoring is a valuable asset to any organization and will play an even more important role in the Air Force of the future.