DECEMBER 17, 2021 – Do you have what it takes to be a mentor? Have you been searching for someone to mentor you as you try to navigate your career? If this is the case, then U.S. Army Sustainment Command has just the program for you.
It is the newly revamped ASC Mentorship Program, and it has existed in various forms since the early 2000s.
“Mentorship is absolutely essential in both professional and personal development,” said Matt Sannito, deputy to the commanding general, ASC. “It offers an opportunity for teammates to be seen and heard, while receiving and learning from other’s work experiences. I have seen both formal and informal programs work because both individuals (the mentor and the mentee) are willing to engage in open and transparent communication.”
The original mentorship program, available to all Rock Island Arsenal personnel, was called, “Show Me the Ropes Mentorship Program.”
“However, that program changed focus in 2003 when a USDA Graduate School, New Leader Program team project expressed the need for a formal mentoring program specifically within the Army Field Support Command and the Joint Munitions Command,” said Lisa Schuldt, the chief of the G3 Training and Program Branch.
In October 2006 the AFSC was re-designated as the U.S. Army Sustainment Command.
In 2006-2007 the current ASC mentorship program took a leap forward when a Journey to Leadership Tier 1 project team created marketing tools and designed the current mentorship logo.
“As part of the formal program, we solicited for mentors and mentees in the fall in order to kick off the year-long program in January with classroom training,” said Schuldt.
ASC starts the mentorship program in January because it is National Mentoring Month. Every year since 2002, the president of the United States has issued a proclamation at the beginning of January with Congress endorsing it.
In 2019 Cris Arduser, head of the ASC Mentorship Program, created a SharePoint site to make it easier for candidates to apply for the program.
“Before (the SharePoint site) they did manual applications,” said Arduser. “The more formal program required applicants to fill out their information on the mentorship home page, and then the training and programs branch staff would match the participants.”
Jim Wilson, a logistics management specialist at ASC, has mentored six people total.
He said he decided to become a mentor because he wanted to improve his active listening skills and his ability to communicate within a multigenerational workforce.
“I wanted to hear firsthand the challenges other employees have and help them overcome the ones I have faced,” said Wilson who has worked both as a Soldier and an Army civilian.
Last year, as a JTL Tier II group project, the mentorship program was made less formal. The request came from then-ASC commanding general, Maj. Gen. Daniel Mitchell.
Under the new program, which was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, mentors and mentees, will be able to match up with each other instead of being matched by the program directors. They will also be able to continue their mentor-mentee association for as long or as little as they need to.
Another new thing about the mentorship program is now there can be reverse mentoring, said Schuldt.
“A senior leader in the command might want to select a junior employee to learn from them,” said Schuldt, adding that junior employees often are more tech savvy and can provide the senior workforce with additional technological skills.
Also under the new mentoring program mentors can be in the same pay grade, or in the case of reverse mentoring, a lower pay grade then the person they are mentoring.
Most participants in the program have found the experience to be very rewarding.
“I would recommend people to be a mentor if they have a desire to help others,” said Christine McCann, an ASC logistics management specialist, who has had five formal mentees and numerous informal mentors.
“Being a mentor means being authentic, (being) willing to share knowledge, actively listening and letting the mentees make their own decisions while helping them develop their own way towards a successful career,” said McCann.
The mentorship program is only open to ASC personnel.
To enroll in the program, please visit: https://asc.aep.army.mil/sites/G37/g3tng/ASCMentoring/SitePages/Register.aspx and click on the button to register as a mentor, mentee, or reverse mentor.
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Corinna Baltos
U.S. Army Sustainment Command