FAME helps airmen network

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Stephen G. Eigel
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  The Kadena chapter of the Air Force Women Officers Association sponsored a three-hour Female Airmen Mentee Experience at the Rocker NCO club Sept. 4.

FAME was a speed mentoring event for female airmen E-1 through E-5 to be mentored by E-6s and above. The airmen had three minutes to talk with each mentor before getting their information and moving on to the next mentor.

"The concept for the mentee experience is to provide young female Airmen an opportunity to meet and possibly gain a female mentor," said Senior Airman Mariah Alexander, a volunteer organizer from the 18th Medical Support Squadron. "This event will get them out of their work centers and allow them to network and seek advice from more experienced female Air Force members to ultimately assist them in leadership decisions and the workplace."

According to Alexander, because the female population is typically smaller in the military, FAME created an informal environment for airmen to gather outside of the workplace and gauge compatibility in personality and leadership style. 

"My goal is that every mentee gets paired up with a mentor," said Tech. Sgt. Anglea Studer, a volunteer mentor also from the 18th MDSS. "I have been in for 13 years and I just recently had my first female mentor which really helped me."

Studer feels it is important for females to have some female mentors; her past male mentors were very direct. She said that was helpful, but she sometimes wanted more than just a direct answer.

"I really hope the word about FAME spreads," Studer said. "It is a good program and the more mentors and mentees we can get involved the better."

AFWOA plans to hold similar events quarterly. Check the Kadena Facebook page for future events.