10 Oct 2021
I received an e-mail from Lt Col David Huston, Chief of the Integration Division at USAFA's Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD). He's asking class scribes to publicize USAFA's mentorship program for the class of 2025. The goal is to assign individual mentors to each of the 1250 cadets in the class, and eventually expand the program to all classes once enough mentors sign up. The Superintendent recently released a short (one-minute) video announcing the program and soliciting grads to help. They're primarily looking for grads who are still on active duty, now serving in the Guard or Reserve, or who are currently "GS" DoD employees. Retirees/separatees aren't currently eligible unless you fall into one of the previously mentioned categories. Nonetheless, if you are interested in the program, Lt Col Huston encourages you to sign up even if not currently eligible because they'll need additional mentors as they expand the program, and having a large and diverse pool of potential mentors is crucial.
Of note, if you are selected to mentor a class of 2025 cadet, the minimum requirement is to meet (in person or virtually) with them at least once a month for one hour. In addition, Lt Col Huston recommends taking on no more than three cadets at a time. You must commit to the program for a full 12 months, but you have the ability in your account profile to indicate when you are no longer accepting mentor requests.
If you are interested in signing up, please complete the onboarding process at Advance Onboarding for Mentors (use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge for best results). The onboarding course and sign-up will take less than 30 minutes.
If you have questions, you can contact Lt Col Huston directly at either (253) 212-6866 (Cell) or david.huston@afacademy.af.edu.
Jim Ratti
(937) 760-2333