Cadet Mentoring Program
“We all need mentors because learning from someone else’s successes and mistakes only makes us better. Providing a non-attributional resource outside the chain of command to guide, advise, coach, and simply talk to our cadets will be a game changer.”
– Lt Gen Richard M. Clark, superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy
The Cadet Mentoring Program connects cadets with mentors from the Academy and throughout the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. The program provides cadets the opportunity to hand-pick professionals outside of their normal circle of daily contacts and establish connections with mentors whom they may never meet otherwise. Designed to guide personal and professional growth and elevate performance in all mission elements, the program helps cadets navigate career and personal milestones such as selecting academic majors, clubs and special programs, career fields and base assignments. These mentoring relationships will benefit cadets at the Academy but will be priceless during a lieutenant’s transition into active duty and a future career.
What is mentoring?
Mentoring is a professional relationship in which a person with greater experience and wisdom guides another person to develop personally and/or professionally. The time and need dedicated to a mentoring relationship are completely determined by the mentee. At various stages of a cadet and officer career, a mentee’s need and time dedicated to mentoring relationships will ebb and flow.
Regardless of rank, most members in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force have multiple mentors in their lives whom they call upon during various chapters of personal and professional growth. Some are life-long, some are shorter-term, but they all serve to accelerate and enhance contributions and impact via learning from others who have gone before them. That is a huge force multiplier for mentees and our services.
Why mentor?
Mentoring helps us all develop habits of living honorably by promoting a climate of inclusion and recognizing the diverse strengths, perspectives, and capabilities of others. Mentoring is an ongoing process for building quality professional relationships that foster communication concerning careers, competencies, behavior, and organizational missions. Mentoring builds leaders of character.
Why join the Cadet Mentoring Program?
With a small investment of time today, cadets can build relationships they will need in the future. Every cadet from any class takes responsibility for his or her development and destiny as a leader of character within our military. As commissioned officers, these same cadets will lead America’s sons and daughters in the most volatile and challenging times our nation has seen in decades. The Cadet Mentoring Program helps prepare cadets to give their best to the Airmen and Guardians they will lead. The program helps cadets accelerate and enhance knowledge, skills, and abilities by learning from the successes and failures of mentors who have gone before them. Mentors are committed to a cadet’s personal development.
Sign up as a cadet or mentor today.
Enroll in Cadet Mentoring Program
Cadets: All cadets are eligible
Military mentors: Active Duty, Guard, Reserve (TSgt+ and Capt+)
Civilian mentors: Federal Employee, Contractor (GS-11/AD-21+)