A mentorship program for female AIT Soldiers

By Capt. Elizabeth F. CantrellApril 14, 2014

A mentorship program for female AIT Soldiers
Sgt. 1st Class Terri Royal, a female mentorship program representative and an Advanced Individual Training (AIT) instructor from D Company, 369th Adjutant General Battalion, speaks to AIT students at Fort Jackson, S.C., during a small-group session. ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Mentorship is a powerful tool for personal and professional development. In the military, a good mentorship program can improve technical and tactical competence, enhance leadership skills, and facilitate self-awareness and self-improvement.

The 369th Adjutant General Battalion established a female mentorship program to meet the specific personal and professional development needs of female Soldiers. The mission of this program is to provide positive guidance, positive role models, and formal mentorship for female advanced individual training (AIT) Soldiers in preparation of their service in the Army. The female mentorship program is not meant to circumvent the chain of command or replace the Army's Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program.

GETTING STARTED

The 369th Adjutant General Battalion identified the requirements of the female mentorship program and determined that it was essential that each company select the very best female mentor regardless of their rank or duty position. To ensure the battalion selected the very best mentors, company command teams and senior mentor representatives screened the candidates, placing an in-depth focus on leadership, maturity, interpersonal skills, credibility, and their use of structured training materials.

All mentors selected received quarterly training from battalion representatives and reviewed the or-ganization?'s best practices and lessons learned.

PROGRAM INTENT AND CONTINUITY

The female mentorship program goal is to foster a caring and supportive relationship between mentors and AIT Soldiers while providing a positive, realistic message from credible leaders. Additionally, the program supplements efforts to eliminate sexual assault and sexual harassment, promote diversity and equal opportunity, and encourage individuals to develop to their fullest potential.

To ensure that the campaign effectively communicates the intended messages, the battalion has standardized its presentation to ensure all Soldiers receive the same information. The battalion's intent is to ensure the message is delivered in a positive, multidirectional small-group learning environment

THE INTRODUCTION

The female mentorship program begins during the first week of AIT at 369th Adjutant General Battalion as Soldiers attend required inprocessing briefings. The mentorship briefing immediately follows the women's wellness briefing in order to provide females with a comfortable atmosphere that encourages open dialog.

New AIT Soldiers are introduced to the mentorship program though a presentation by the battalion's officer female mentorship representative and senior enlisted female mentorship representative. During this short introduction, the battalion representatives formally introduce themselves to the Soldiers. They also explain what the Soldiers should look forward to during the next eight weeks of the program and gather any questions the mentees want answered during upcoming sessions.

The senior mentors also identify the female mentor for each company. Each company in the battalion has at least one female platoon sergeant or instructor who is nominated to serve as the company female mentor. The company nominated noncommissioned officer representative is well-versed in various topics, including female dynamics, SHARP, equal opportunity, seizing career opportunities, and Army Regulation 670-1, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia.

THE SESSIONS

Within the first two weeks of each new class cycle, the female AIT mentors conduct the first of three small group discussions. A second session is scheduled within the three-to-six week window, and the last session is held sometime during the last two weeks of AIT.

The topics in session one include the wear and appearance of the uniform, field hygiene, perceptions of females in the Army, barracks and schoolhouse behavior, situational awareness, spotting predator indicators, and SHARP reporting procedures.

Session two includes discussions on achieving a work/life balance, female team dynamics, sexual assault and sexual harassment scenario-based training, and managing family, marriage, and children in the Army.

The final session includes a discussion on networking in the Army, obtaining a mentor, educational opportunities, seizing career opportunities, and first duty station issues.

Concluding each session, the mentor opens the floor for a question and answer period. Students may provide topics publicly or speak to their mentors after the session if they still have questions. These various means of communicating ensure each female Soldier has the opportunity to express her concerns and get answers.

The female mentorship program is now fully implemented and has received valuable feedback from participants at every level. The 369th Adjutant General Battalion anticipates the development of a male mentorship program using lessons learned from the female mentorship program currently in place. Furthermore, the battalion will continue to cultivate and empower our Army's future leaders.

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Capt. Elizabeth F. Cantrell is the Headquarters and Alpha Company commander and commissioned officer female mentorship representative for the 369th Adjutant General Battalion, Fort Jackson, S.C. She holds a bachelor's degree in health education and military science from Prairie View A&M University and a master's degree in human resources management from Webster University. She is a graduate of the Adjutant General Captains Career Course.

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