Air Force officials launch new mentoring program

  • Published
  • By Katherine C. Gandara
  • Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) --  Officials from the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center here and the U.S. Air Force Academy launched a new mentoring program when they signed a memorandum of agreement March 17 at the Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

The agreement enables AFOTEC members to mentor Academy cadets enrolled in or considering engineering, scientific and mathematics disciplines. 

The AFOTEC mentoring program also supports the secretary of the Air Force's desire to increase opportunities for officers serving in these disciplines to interact with cadets in order to demonstrate and explain post-graduation opportunities for cadets when they are commissioned.

The mentoring program will leverage AFOTEC officials' experience in operations, test and evaluation to create a comprehensive approach assisting Academy cadets from all classes, including senior cadets during their capstone course. The AFOTEC Mentoring Program will promote engineering and scientific disciplines through guest speaker engagements, summer research opportunities and mentoring senior cadets in test principles as applied to their capstone design projects during the academic year. 

Every effort will be made to involve cadets in real world operational test and evaluation missions, as well as to infuse operational test and evaluation concepts into the cadets' capstone projects with frequent mentoring, said Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Sargeant, the AFOTEC commander.

The idea for this effort grew from an October 2007 meeting between General Sargeant and Brig. Gen. Dana H. Born, the Academy's dean of faculty, when they discussed ways to create opportunities to fulfill the secretary of the Air Force's desire to increase the cadet's understanding and excitement for engineering and scientific career field options for them once they are commissioned. They agreed to pursue a collaborative mentoring program involving AFOTEC members with senior cadets and faculty.

Frequent mentoring will occur between cadets and AFOTEC's Det. 4 staff located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. In addition, AFOTEC officials from its headquarters and detachments will participate in career nights as well as host cadets for summer programs. AFOTEC is headquartered at Kirtland Air Force Base, and has five detachments, as well as 11 operating locations across the United States.

''The AFOTEC Mentoring Program will enable these future Air Force leaders to enter active duty with a better understanding and awareness of how the knowledge and skill they gained at (the Academy) will allow them to make a positive impact on delivering capabilities to warfighters expeditiously, to more effectively conduct their operations with less risk to our Airmen and joint and coalition partners,'' General Sargeant said.

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