1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:00,660 so with 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:05,810 so without the express permission of 3 00:00:05,810 --> 00:00:08,060 the speaker , nothing an individual 4 00:00:08,060 --> 00:00:10,910 says will be attributed to that speaker 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,320 directly or indirectly in the presence 6 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:15,830 of anyone who was not authorized to 7 00:00:15,830 --> 00:00:18,700 attend the lecture . The chat is not 8 00:00:18,700 --> 00:00:21,780 being recorded . We ask that you stay 9 00:00:21,780 --> 00:00:24,490 muted at all times and do not turn on 10 00:00:24,490 --> 00:00:27,670 your camera to save bandwidth . All 11 00:00:27,670 --> 00:00:30,060 panel members plan to be on camera . 12 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:33,296 Thank you for those who have sent in 13 00:00:33,296 --> 00:00:35,630 questions . So we will begin with the 14 00:00:35,630 --> 00:00:37,686 questions that were sent in and then 15 00:00:37,686 --> 00:00:39,908 move on to questions that we see coming 16 00:00:39,908 --> 00:00:41,930 the check as moderator . I will ask 17 00:00:41,930 --> 00:00:43,874 those questions at the appropriate 18 00:00:43,874 --> 00:00:46,590 timing and as time allows , a recorded 19 00:00:46,590 --> 00:00:48,757 version of this session will be posted 20 00:00:48,757 --> 00:00:50,868 on the A . F . M . C . Public affairs 21 00:00:50,868 --> 00:00:53,034 website under the mentoring highlights 22 00:00:53,034 --> 00:00:55,350 section . If you're not muted , our 23 00:00:55,350 --> 00:00:58,150 panel production team will mute you 24 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:01,160 remotely . We do intend to go the full 25 00:01:01,170 --> 00:01:03,680 hour and intend to close at 1500 26 00:01:03,690 --> 00:01:05,579 Eastern standard time as close as 27 00:01:05,579 --> 00:01:08,250 possible as we can . To that I shall 28 00:01:08,250 --> 00:01:10,020 now go on to the panel member 29 00:01:10,020 --> 00:01:12,660 introductions starting with mr thomas 30 00:01:12,670 --> 00:01:15,050 and then to carol . Colonel carol and 31 00:01:15,050 --> 00:01:17,550 then to Master Sergeant Tremmel over to 32 00:01:17,550 --> 00:01:20,920 you Mr thomas . Thank you Jacqueline . 33 00:01:20,930 --> 00:01:23,263 So first of all thanks to the A . F . M . 34 00:01:23,263 --> 00:01:25,263 C . D . And I team for putting this 35 00:01:25,263 --> 00:01:27,319 together and thanks to general bunch 36 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:29,374 for his leadership and getting us to 37 00:01:29,374 --> 00:01:31,374 the point that we are being able to 38 00:01:31,374 --> 00:01:31,160 have these open discussions about 39 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,740 issues and concerns within the Air 40 00:01:33,740 --> 00:01:36,340 Force As many of you know I've been 41 00:01:36,340 --> 00:01:38,507 with the air force now in one capacity 42 00:01:38,507 --> 00:01:40,340 or another for over 40 years . I 43 00:01:40,340 --> 00:01:42,451 started as an enlisted man in the air 44 00:01:42,451 --> 00:01:45,320 force as a musician and eventually was 45 00:01:45,330 --> 00:01:48,090 um accepted for commissioning program , 46 00:01:48,090 --> 00:01:50,368 got a degree in electrical engineering . 47 00:01:50,368 --> 00:01:52,423 I got commissioned as an officer and 48 00:01:52,423 --> 00:01:54,534 became an acquisition officer for the 49 00:01:54,534 --> 00:01:56,479 Air Force and did that for another 50 00:01:56,479 --> 00:01:58,423 seven years . So I did a seven and 51 00:01:58,423 --> 00:02:00,479 seven enlisted and commissioned time 52 00:02:00,479 --> 00:02:02,368 and then after that , of course , 53 00:02:02,368 --> 00:02:04,660 ending up in civilian service . My job 54 00:02:04,660 --> 00:02:06,271 currently as the Director of 55 00:02:06,271 --> 00:02:08,049 engineering . My responsibility 56 00:02:08,049 --> 00:02:10,560 primarily is ensuring the technical 57 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,760 aspects of the Air Force sustainment 58 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:15,816 Center are intact and ensure we have 59 00:02:15,816 --> 00:02:18,093 the right technical workforce in place . 60 00:02:18,093 --> 00:02:20,260 So that workforce development piece is 61 00:02:20,260 --> 00:02:22,204 really near and dear to my heart . 62 00:02:22,204 --> 00:02:24,316 That's where my mind and my heart are 63 00:02:24,316 --> 00:02:26,870 and that's what the people of a FSC and 64 00:02:26,870 --> 00:02:30,650 FMC of course . So my responsibility to 65 00:02:30,650 --> 00:02:33,950 ensure that we recruit , train 66 00:02:34,980 --> 00:02:38,260 and retain our workforce and this 67 00:02:39,140 --> 00:02:41,580 discussion today about mentoring is is 68 00:02:41,580 --> 00:02:45,350 a huge part of what it really takes to 69 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,040 develop and grow uh as a 70 00:02:49,050 --> 00:02:51,590 scientist and engineer in the FSC and 71 00:02:51,590 --> 00:02:54,660 hopefully for other jobs series as well . 72 00:02:56,140 --> 00:02:57,850 Over to you , Colonel Carol . 73 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,530 Thank you . Mr thomas . Uh again , I to 74 00:03:05,540 --> 00:03:07,970 echo what Mr thomas said , I'm 75 00:03:07,970 --> 00:03:09,970 delighted to be a part of the panel 76 00:03:09,970 --> 00:03:12,280 today . I too started as a young airman 77 00:03:12,290 --> 00:03:15,630 and was fortunate to have mentors that 78 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:17,584 basically pushed me into getting a 79 00:03:17,584 --> 00:03:19,807 commission . I'm here at Hill Air Force 80 00:03:19,807 --> 00:03:21,529 Base as the 75th Air Base Wing 81 00:03:21,529 --> 00:03:23,751 commander , An installation commander . 82 00:03:23,751 --> 00:03:25,973 What does that mean ? That means that I 83 00:03:25,973 --> 00:03:28,140 support 52 mission partners across the 84 00:03:28,140 --> 00:03:30,307 spectrum of all different um different 85 00:03:30,307 --> 00:03:32,960 mission sets as far as mentoring . I've 86 00:03:32,970 --> 00:03:35,081 been fortunate to have many mentors , 87 00:03:35,081 --> 00:03:37,740 lifelong mentors and that's why I'm 88 00:03:37,740 --> 00:03:39,907 here today , mentoring is important to 89 00:03:39,907 --> 00:03:42,310 me because it allows me to share my 90 00:03:42,310 --> 00:03:44,610 story with the youngest airman and that 91 00:03:44,610 --> 00:03:47,450 could be in uniform uh or not in 92 00:03:47,450 --> 00:03:50,010 uniform , so military or civilian on if 93 00:03:50,010 --> 00:03:52,232 they see something , how to go after it 94 00:03:52,232 --> 00:03:54,399 and really how to mentor them , assist 95 00:03:54,399 --> 00:03:56,399 and guide them into getting to that 96 00:03:56,399 --> 00:03:58,621 goal . But again I'm happy to be here . 97 00:03:58,621 --> 00:04:00,566 I won't take too much of your time 98 00:04:00,566 --> 00:04:02,732 because I want to get to the questions 99 00:04:02,732 --> 00:04:04,843 and I will now turn it over to Master 100 00:04:04,843 --> 00:04:06,899 sergeant Truman over to you sergeant 101 00:04:06,899 --> 00:04:08,899 trouble . Thank you , thank you for 102 00:04:08,899 --> 00:04:11,066 everyone . Um I'm very happy for being 103 00:04:11,066 --> 00:04:13,380 here today . I'd like to just say a 104 00:04:13,380 --> 00:04:16,870 little bit about myself . Um well I 105 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:19,047 came into the Air Force 18 years ago I 106 00:04:19,047 --> 00:04:20,620 was on any troop electrical 107 00:04:20,620 --> 00:04:22,830 environmental systems . I was in that 108 00:04:22,830 --> 00:04:24,730 career for five years all until I 109 00:04:24,730 --> 00:04:26,841 became stats heart and I was eligible 110 00:04:26,841 --> 00:04:29,240 to cross train cross train into 111 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,710 contracting and it ended up becoming a 112 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:33,776 contracting officer now stationed at 113 00:04:33,776 --> 00:04:36,460 Tinker Air Force base and 114 00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:40,540 I am a Superintendent GPC and I . T . 115 00:04:40,540 --> 00:04:42,770 Section and also working with the Rapid 116 00:04:42,770 --> 00:04:45,960 X . Team . Uh what mentoring it means 117 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,240 to me is a mentor is basically somebody 118 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,573 is going to help you cut off that fluff , 119 00:04:50,573 --> 00:04:52,573 somebody's gonna have to collapse . 120 00:04:52,573 --> 00:04:55,660 Time help you get to your end go faster . 121 00:04:56,140 --> 00:04:58,990 Um By asking questions almost like when 122 00:04:58,990 --> 00:05:01,610 you're in the grocery store and you're 123 00:05:01,610 --> 00:05:03,721 trying to find something item and you 124 00:05:03,721 --> 00:05:06,480 can't find it you ask somebody . So 125 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,647 when you ask somebody they'll tell you 126 00:05:08,647 --> 00:05:10,758 exactly where the item is . So that's 127 00:05:10,758 --> 00:05:12,591 why I think of a mentor that's a 128 00:05:12,591 --> 00:05:16,540 moderator . Thank you very much 129 00:05:16,540 --> 00:05:19,130 panel members for those introductions . 130 00:05:19,140 --> 00:05:21,960 Now we'll get into the questions . The 131 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,190 first question is for you Mr thomas and 132 00:05:24,190 --> 00:05:26,190 you can hand it off just as you did 133 00:05:26,190 --> 00:05:28,190 with the introductions if you don't 134 00:05:28,190 --> 00:05:30,412 mind . The first question is how do you 135 00:05:30,412 --> 00:05:32,134 feel that being a part of this 136 00:05:32,134 --> 00:05:34,023 demographic shaped your mentoring 137 00:05:34,023 --> 00:05:35,023 journey ? 138 00:05:38,340 --> 00:05:40,670 So first of all the way it shaped my 139 00:05:40,670 --> 00:05:43,120 mentoring journey is it helped actually 140 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,070 determine who I look to for mentors 141 00:05:46,070 --> 00:05:48,237 which we're going to talk a little bit 142 00:05:48,237 --> 00:05:50,470 more about that earlier here because uh 143 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:52,730 during the time I came up there were 144 00:05:52,730 --> 00:05:55,880 not a lot of folks reaching out to 145 00:05:55,890 --> 00:05:59,690 minorities to do mentoring . And I've 146 00:05:59,700 --> 00:06:02,570 noticed of course during my time of 147 00:06:02,580 --> 00:06:04,524 those mentor reaching out to other 148 00:06:04,524 --> 00:06:08,210 people . So having seen that I was less 149 00:06:08,210 --> 00:06:10,550 likely to ask for mentoring because I 150 00:06:10,550 --> 00:06:12,720 didn't feel like it was offered up to 151 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,720 me . So that kind of determined how 152 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:18,130 long it took me to actually opened up 153 00:06:18,140 --> 00:06:20,473 and started asking folks for mentorship . 154 00:06:20,740 --> 00:06:23,120 And I think it also shaped my mentoring 155 00:06:23,130 --> 00:06:26,190 journey as far as who I mentor , and 156 00:06:26,190 --> 00:06:28,190 that's definitely not to say that I 157 00:06:28,190 --> 00:06:30,960 choose to mentor one person over 158 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,182 another , I never say no to mentoring , 159 00:06:33,182 --> 00:06:35,182 but what I think it has done for me 160 00:06:35,182 --> 00:06:37,540 because of demographic , I'm in I think 161 00:06:37,540 --> 00:06:39,540 more folks in my demographic , more 162 00:06:39,540 --> 00:06:41,970 blacks come to me for mentoring . And 163 00:06:41,970 --> 00:06:44,192 so it kind of helps that has determined 164 00:06:44,540 --> 00:06:48,480 kind of the um the the 165 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:50,260 demographic of who I mentor 166 00:06:52,340 --> 00:06:55,850 comparable to your thoughts again , Mr 167 00:06:55,850 --> 00:06:57,906 thomas , it's great to go behind you 168 00:06:57,906 --> 00:07:00,128 because a lot of what you're saying , I 169 00:07:00,128 --> 00:07:02,520 definitely have experienced and much of 170 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,631 the same , you talk about what shaped 171 00:07:04,631 --> 00:07:07,090 my mentoring journey , I did not have 172 00:07:07,100 --> 00:07:09,800 anyone that looked like me mentoring me 173 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,730 either , so I can count those that have 174 00:07:12,730 --> 00:07:14,674 looked like me african american or 175 00:07:14,674 --> 00:07:16,700 black uh that have mentored me 176 00:07:16,700 --> 00:07:19,000 throughout my journey now the fact that 177 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,750 I'm here , I do mentor all as mr thomas 178 00:07:21,750 --> 00:07:24,750 also mentioned , but it also gives me 179 00:07:24,750 --> 00:07:27,100 an opportunity to go up and ask 180 00:07:27,110 --> 00:07:29,430 individuals that are minorities if they 181 00:07:29,430 --> 00:07:32,350 have mentors . Because even even in my 182 00:07:32,350 --> 00:07:34,350 role today , I don't have very many 183 00:07:34,350 --> 00:07:37,100 mentors , but it doesn't stop me from 184 00:07:37,110 --> 00:07:39,720 asking for mentorship , but um but I 185 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:41,887 will tell you that has helped shape my 186 00:07:41,887 --> 00:07:43,887 journey because being out there not 187 00:07:43,887 --> 00:07:46,053 knowing as Mr thomas said other people 188 00:07:46,053 --> 00:07:48,164 are being mentored and you're kind of 189 00:07:48,164 --> 00:07:50,498 sitting on the on really on the wayside , 190 00:07:50,498 --> 00:07:52,720 watching this happen , and so you raise 191 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:54,776 your hand and say why not me ? And I 192 00:07:54,776 --> 00:07:56,831 actually did that early in my career 193 00:07:56,831 --> 00:07:58,887 when I really wanted to do something 194 00:07:58,887 --> 00:08:00,664 when I was told no , and I went 195 00:08:00,664 --> 00:08:02,887 straight to the leadership and I said , 196 00:08:02,887 --> 00:08:04,831 well why can't I ? And here we are 197 00:08:04,831 --> 00:08:06,831 today , So I think sometimes you do 198 00:08:06,831 --> 00:08:09,053 have to ask for what you want , and the 199 00:08:09,053 --> 00:08:11,053 only thing they can say is no , but 200 00:08:11,053 --> 00:08:13,220 mentorship is very important , so I'll 201 00:08:13,220 --> 00:08:15,387 stop there and I'll turn it over um to 202 00:08:15,387 --> 00:08:17,331 master sergeant trauma , so he can 203 00:08:17,331 --> 00:08:20,550 provide his input as well . Well thank 204 00:08:20,550 --> 00:08:24,330 you , ma'am . Well , being an african 205 00:08:24,330 --> 00:08:27,930 american , being a mentor or going 206 00:08:27,930 --> 00:08:31,540 through an enlisted ranks um just like 207 00:08:31,540 --> 00:08:34,420 the previous two already said , you 208 00:08:34,420 --> 00:08:36,531 used to try to find someone who looks 209 00:08:36,531 --> 00:08:39,200 like you , who talks like you , who has 210 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,600 the same walk of life as you um to be a 211 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:45,190 mentor . Um my my 212 00:08:45,190 --> 00:08:49,000 upbringing , the Air Force um it wasn't 213 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,120 too many people in the high ranking 214 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,860 positions that were mentors to me . Um 215 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,400 So I think it kind of shot myself in 216 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:00,678 the foot probably into other questions , 217 00:09:00,678 --> 00:09:02,844 but it kind of shot myself in the foot 218 00:09:02,844 --> 00:09:04,900 earlier in my career by not reaching 219 00:09:04,900 --> 00:09:06,011 out to other people 220 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,590 because maintenance , I didn't trust a 221 00:09:12,590 --> 00:09:16,340 lot of uh my leadership when I came in 222 00:09:16,340 --> 00:09:19,060 the Air Force back and forth because of 223 00:09:19,060 --> 00:09:21,227 what they did to some of my peers . Um 224 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:26,050 So but since I became the ranks um 225 00:09:26,060 --> 00:09:28,830 Staff sergeant tech start I figure out 226 00:09:28,830 --> 00:09:32,550 that you do need a lot of mentors . You 227 00:09:32,550 --> 00:09:34,870 probably need about seven of them in 228 00:09:34,870 --> 00:09:37,790 all aspects of your life . Um So I 229 00:09:37,790 --> 00:09:41,280 think you saved me . Just trust a 230 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:43,750 little bit more now that I'm older in 231 00:09:43,750 --> 00:09:46,810 the career um in my ranks . So just 232 00:09:46,810 --> 00:09:50,330 trust a lot . So just trust more people . 233 00:09:50,340 --> 00:09:52,870 Trust more people that they actually 234 00:09:52,870 --> 00:09:56,570 reach out to be a mental . So 235 00:09:56,610 --> 00:10:00,090 back to the moderator . Thank you all 236 00:10:00,090 --> 00:10:02,340 once again for your responses . We do 237 00:10:02,340 --> 00:10:04,562 have a question in the chat . I'm going 238 00:10:04,562 --> 00:10:06,618 to move to our next question and the 239 00:10:06,618 --> 00:10:08,784 third question will be from the chat . 240 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:10,984 So the next question is a compound 241 00:10:10,984 --> 00:10:13,620 question . When you were mentoring 242 00:10:13,620 --> 00:10:15,398 someone from a different racial 243 00:10:15,398 --> 00:10:17,650 background , does that difference 244 00:10:17,650 --> 00:10:19,428 become specifically part of the 245 00:10:19,428 --> 00:10:23,230 conversation ? And if . So how was 246 00:10:23,230 --> 00:10:25,230 this brought up when you were being 247 00:10:25,230 --> 00:10:27,174 mentored ? I'll start with Colonel 248 00:10:27,174 --> 00:10:30,380 Carol for this one . Well thank you for 249 00:10:30,380 --> 00:10:34,030 that . So um the ethnicity doesn't 250 00:10:34,030 --> 00:10:36,086 necessarily come up right up front . 251 00:10:36,086 --> 00:10:38,380 Right ? So you're having a conversation 252 00:10:38,390 --> 00:10:41,710 and it really depends on the person 253 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,210 and and their comfort and their level 254 00:10:44,210 --> 00:10:46,220 of comfort nous with talking about 255 00:10:46,230 --> 00:10:49,120 ethnicity and again , I mentor all 256 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,030 people men , women and um we just have 257 00:10:52,030 --> 00:10:54,420 a conversation about their goals and 258 00:10:54,420 --> 00:10:56,930 then if asked , we talk about racial 259 00:10:56,940 --> 00:10:59,051 racial disparity . That's really been 260 00:10:59,051 --> 00:11:01,384 one of the biggest things right now . D . 261 00:11:01,384 --> 00:11:03,273 E . I . N . A . Where what are we 262 00:11:03,273 --> 00:11:05,273 talking about ? And I will tell you 263 00:11:05,273 --> 00:11:07,440 some of my sitting commanders today do 264 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:09,551 not realize that the Air Force hasn't 265 00:11:09,551 --> 00:11:12,050 has a concern with racial disparity and 266 00:11:12,050 --> 00:11:14,050 those same commanders , they do not 267 00:11:14,050 --> 00:11:15,939 look like us , they're white male 268 00:11:15,939 --> 00:11:17,717 commanders . And so having that 269 00:11:17,717 --> 00:11:19,606 conversation with them during the 270 00:11:19,606 --> 00:11:21,606 feedback sessions and the mentoring 271 00:11:21,606 --> 00:11:23,717 sessions highlighting that to them as 272 00:11:23,717 --> 00:11:25,939 I'm mentoring them so they can now take 273 00:11:25,939 --> 00:11:27,939 that when they're mentoring someone 274 00:11:27,939 --> 00:11:29,939 that is of a different ethnicity to 275 00:11:29,939 --> 00:11:32,106 have a different understanding if that 276 00:11:32,106 --> 00:11:36,060 makes sense ? Mr thomas . 277 00:11:38,340 --> 00:11:40,451 So I'm gonna ask you , first of all , 278 00:11:40,451 --> 00:11:42,673 if you wouldn't mind to read the second 279 00:11:42,673 --> 00:11:44,896 half of that question again . Yes sir . 280 00:11:44,896 --> 00:11:46,896 The second half was this brought up 281 00:11:46,896 --> 00:11:48,820 when you were being mentored the 282 00:11:48,830 --> 00:11:50,497 different racial background . 283 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,090 Okay , so first of all interestingly 284 00:11:55,090 --> 00:11:58,500 enough , when I mentor folks who are 285 00:11:58,500 --> 00:12:00,650 not considered minorities , the 286 00:12:00,650 --> 00:12:02,594 discussion has never come up in my 287 00:12:02,594 --> 00:12:05,640 mentoring sessions . However , if I 288 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:09,110 mentor uh black americans a lot of 289 00:12:09,110 --> 00:12:11,830 times that that it does come up and I 290 00:12:11,830 --> 00:12:13,608 assume that's because they feel 291 00:12:13,608 --> 00:12:15,830 comfortable talking to me about the the 292 00:12:15,830 --> 00:12:17,886 concerns they have or the challenges 293 00:12:17,886 --> 00:12:20,052 they run into because I've had some of 294 00:12:20,052 --> 00:12:22,052 those same challenges . Uh and then 295 00:12:22,052 --> 00:12:24,052 also with women , there are several 296 00:12:24,052 --> 00:12:26,163 women I've mentor and this discussion 297 00:12:26,163 --> 00:12:28,340 of women because of the low number of 298 00:12:28,340 --> 00:12:30,229 women , especially in science and 299 00:12:30,229 --> 00:12:32,173 engineering . That discussion also 300 00:12:32,173 --> 00:12:34,284 comes up and I I openly talk about it 301 00:12:34,284 --> 00:12:36,340 because I believe that that's one of 302 00:12:36,340 --> 00:12:37,951 the ways we need to heal our 303 00:12:37,951 --> 00:12:39,951 organization is by ensuring that we 304 00:12:39,951 --> 00:12:42,010 have women , other minorities 305 00:12:42,010 --> 00:12:44,450 represented in our in our career field 306 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,590 when I'm being mentored . I do not ever 307 00:12:47,590 --> 00:12:51,310 remember that coming up . If someone of 308 00:12:51,310 --> 00:12:54,240 a different races mentoring me again , 309 00:12:54,250 --> 00:12:56,380 black mentors I have talked to about 310 00:12:56,380 --> 00:12:58,740 that because we have we do have some of 311 00:12:58,740 --> 00:13:00,740 those common challenges we've dealt 312 00:13:00,740 --> 00:13:02,150 with over our careers . 313 00:13:10,740 --> 00:13:14,340 Well I believe it's on to me so I'm 314 00:13:14,350 --> 00:13:18,290 just like mr thomas . Um I never in 315 00:13:18,290 --> 00:13:20,457 my career or outside the Air Force has 316 00:13:20,457 --> 00:13:23,180 ever dealt with a mentor and talked 317 00:13:23,180 --> 00:13:26,680 about race um in my mentoring sessions 318 00:13:26,690 --> 00:13:30,460 um um sort of just like mr 319 00:13:30,460 --> 00:13:33,710 thomas , it is another male that looks 320 00:13:33,710 --> 00:13:36,240 like me , we might have a conversation 321 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:39,920 or about how you felt like you've been 322 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,750 treated and some of the same roles 323 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,350 that I went through . But um even with 324 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:50,160 my troops , I had 325 00:13:51,140 --> 00:13:53,360 not too recent until I became a master 326 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:54,916 until I started having this 327 00:13:54,916 --> 00:13:56,971 conversation . I think it's just the 328 00:13:56,971 --> 00:13:59,027 climate we're in today that we start 329 00:13:59,027 --> 00:14:02,150 having those conversations . Um but uh 330 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:05,070 it's just about my understanding of 331 00:14:05,070 --> 00:14:07,820 different things that happen um in the 332 00:14:07,820 --> 00:14:09,670 world and I ask questions or 333 00:14:09,670 --> 00:14:12,650 clarifications or one of my 334 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,496 my caucasian troops actually give me 335 00:14:15,496 --> 00:14:18,320 some clarification on things um what 336 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:21,050 happened on uh huh . 337 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:26,370 What happened at the capitol or or 338 00:14:26,370 --> 00:14:28,810 anything else like that ? What their 339 00:14:28,820 --> 00:14:31,850 perspective is on it ? So , and even if 340 00:14:31,850 --> 00:14:33,961 I'm in a dominant position as the top 341 00:14:33,961 --> 00:14:37,910 leader , um I also wants my uh my 342 00:14:37,910 --> 00:14:40,021 subordinates to actually , you know , 343 00:14:40,021 --> 00:14:42,021 saying come to me , I actually have 344 00:14:42,021 --> 00:14:44,021 this conversation because it's very 345 00:14:44,021 --> 00:14:47,530 haydn in today's Air Force MS cole 346 00:14:47,530 --> 00:14:49,641 before you proceed . I do want to add 347 00:14:49,641 --> 00:14:52,890 two things to my response when we talk 348 00:14:52,890 --> 00:14:55,940 about if it comes up in mentoring and 349 00:14:55,940 --> 00:14:58,340 just kind of what what it what it means 350 00:14:58,340 --> 00:15:00,562 to be in the landscape . I think really 351 00:15:00,562 --> 00:15:02,618 it's all about understanding right ? 352 00:15:02,618 --> 00:15:05,090 Understanding the dynamic and my lens 353 00:15:05,090 --> 00:15:07,950 and your lens are so different . And uh 354 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,740 when when we say perception , 11 355 00:15:10,740 --> 00:15:12,573 person's perception is the other 356 00:15:12,573 --> 00:15:14,462 person's reality . That is a true 357 00:15:14,462 --> 00:15:16,684 statement . And so I think until we are 358 00:15:16,684 --> 00:15:19,250 really ready to to use mr thomas , word 359 00:15:19,250 --> 00:15:22,050 hell as a service . And as a people , 360 00:15:22,060 --> 00:15:24,116 we really need to just put it on the 361 00:15:24,116 --> 00:15:26,449 table and have those hard conversations . 362 00:15:26,449 --> 00:15:28,560 These are hard conversations and they 363 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:30,504 are not going to go away unless we 364 00:15:30,504 --> 00:15:32,727 address the elephant in the room . So I 365 00:15:32,727 --> 00:15:34,949 will tell you that that has been one of 366 00:15:34,949 --> 00:15:37,171 the biggest things . And again , I'm so 367 00:15:37,171 --> 00:15:39,660 thankful for this forum today . Thank 368 00:15:39,660 --> 00:15:42,450 you . The next question is from the 369 00:15:42,450 --> 00:15:44,900 chat and you may have touched on this a 370 00:15:44,900 --> 00:15:47,460 bit ? How important is having a diverse 371 00:15:47,460 --> 00:15:50,770 mentor network for example , do you see 372 00:15:50,770 --> 00:15:52,770 remaining in your comfort zone as a 373 00:15:52,770 --> 00:15:55,370 plus . Um as having a mentor of the 374 00:15:55,370 --> 00:15:57,481 same race . Is that , is that leading 375 00:15:57,481 --> 00:15:58,648 to a glass ceiling ? 376 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:04,450 Is that for who's that for ? We will 377 00:16:04,450 --> 00:16:06,394 start on this question with master 378 00:16:06,394 --> 00:16:09,750 stars and trammell . Um 379 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,690 Well um , that do , I think 380 00:16:13,690 --> 00:16:16,510 it's leading to glass ceiling ? Um No , 381 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:18,870 because usually when I speak out to 382 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,400 mentors and somebody who already hit 383 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,510 the goals that I want to hit . So just 384 00:16:24,510 --> 00:16:26,621 like I said before I've been throwing 385 00:16:26,621 --> 00:16:30,290 collapses time . Um if I see a chief 386 00:16:30,290 --> 00:16:34,250 master and he had the highest heights , 387 00:16:34,940 --> 00:16:37,107 I'm gonna ask that chief , how did you 388 00:16:37,107 --> 00:16:39,329 get those ? How did you get there ? I'm 389 00:16:39,329 --> 00:16:41,496 gonna ask them the questions and we're 390 00:16:41,496 --> 00:16:43,718 just gonna have a conversation and then 391 00:16:43,718 --> 00:16:45,884 hopefully at least from something from 392 00:16:45,884 --> 00:16:49,160 there . But or ever in life or outside 393 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:51,710 the Air force . I see someone with a 394 00:16:51,710 --> 00:16:54,150 job that I want or in acquisitions or 395 00:16:54,150 --> 00:16:56,640 contracting , I'm gonna ask him , hey , 396 00:16:56,650 --> 00:16:59,090 what what about the job ? What do I 397 00:16:59,090 --> 00:17:01,146 need to do to make myself marketable 398 00:17:01,146 --> 00:17:04,640 enough to be in that job . Um , So I 399 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:06,862 don't think there's a glass ceiling . I 400 00:17:06,862 --> 00:17:08,950 think there's , there is a lot of 401 00:17:08,950 --> 00:17:11,061 african americans in those situations 402 00:17:11,061 --> 00:17:13,960 or in those positions that I look for . 403 00:17:14,940 --> 00:17:18,570 Um , but also I do have a lot of 404 00:17:18,580 --> 00:17:22,170 caucasian um mentors . So 405 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:26,260 uh lieutenant colonels , generals and I 406 00:17:26,260 --> 00:17:28,740 have daily conversations with them . So 407 00:17:28,750 --> 00:17:31,670 um try to leave me in the right breast 408 00:17:31,670 --> 00:17:34,520 and good people . Um short story when I 409 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:36,742 first came to Tinker Air Force Base , I 410 00:17:36,742 --> 00:17:38,964 was the only time I really felt like in 411 00:17:38,964 --> 00:17:40,964 my whole Air force career . Now his 412 00:17:40,964 --> 00:17:43,550 mentor on the SCS had monthly meetings 413 00:17:43,550 --> 00:17:47,190 with me , supervisor , the whole the 414 00:17:47,190 --> 00:17:49,530 branch chief and we had , hey how can 415 00:17:49,530 --> 00:17:51,860 we make Sarin trammell the best he can 416 00:17:51,860 --> 00:17:53,971 be while he's here in this position . 417 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,960 Um and just from his daily 418 00:17:58,740 --> 00:18:01,170 talking to me on a day and day basis , 419 00:18:01,540 --> 00:18:03,651 um just making sure that I was okay , 420 00:18:03,651 --> 00:18:05,740 my family was okay . Um it meant the 421 00:18:05,740 --> 00:18:09,270 world to me , so I have no problem . 422 00:18:10,340 --> 00:18:13,780 It was either either either or but I I 423 00:18:13,780 --> 00:18:15,920 will reach out . So for me that's my 424 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:17,976 perspective , I always want to reach 425 00:18:17,976 --> 00:18:20,198 out and try to find different mentors . 426 00:18:20,198 --> 00:18:22,360 But sometimes mentor will becoming 427 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,407 basically comes in my life organically 428 00:18:26,540 --> 00:18:29,170 on to you mr thomas . 429 00:18:31,940 --> 00:18:34,050 So I would like to start this answer 430 00:18:34,050 --> 00:18:37,080 with a little story when I was in Rome 431 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:39,980 new york as a chief engineer and A . F . 432 00:18:39,980 --> 00:18:42,620 R . L . I wanted to move from Rome at 433 00:18:42,620 --> 00:18:44,453 that point and move to something 434 00:18:44,453 --> 00:18:46,676 different . I've been there almost four 435 00:18:46,676 --> 00:18:50,620 years and so the staff take Ur was 436 00:18:50,620 --> 00:18:52,870 visiting Rome and so I talked to that 437 00:18:52,870 --> 00:18:55,720 individual about potentially having 438 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:57,553 some mentoring and of course the 439 00:18:57,553 --> 00:18:59,900 individual said yes absolutely . So I 440 00:18:59,900 --> 00:19:02,122 talked to staff A Q . R . S . F . A . Q 441 00:19:02,122 --> 00:19:04,310 are in turn introduced me to a F . M . 442 00:19:04,310 --> 00:19:07,920 C . E . N . Who in turn I talked to on 443 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:10,031 the phone for probably an hour , hour 444 00:19:10,031 --> 00:19:13,190 and a half , just just for asking A F M 445 00:19:13,190 --> 00:19:16,440 C E . N . Then introduced me to A F S C 446 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:20,010 E . N . Again conversation 447 00:19:20,020 --> 00:19:23,860 uh immediately started helping 448 00:19:24,340 --> 00:19:26,507 F . S . C . E . N . Then introduced me 449 00:19:26,507 --> 00:19:29,840 to uh the A . L . C . Commander Don at 450 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,720 Robins air Force base Georgia . And so 451 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:34,942 out of that I eventually got the job as 452 00:19:34,942 --> 00:19:36,609 the director and the software 453 00:19:36,609 --> 00:19:38,664 maintenance group at Warner Robins . 454 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:41,807 And that list I just gave you only one 455 00:19:41,807 --> 00:19:45,560 individual was african american . There 456 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:47,727 were no african americans in the other 457 00:19:47,727 --> 00:19:50,890 positions . So I say definitively if I 458 00:19:50,890 --> 00:19:54,390 try to only have black mentors , 459 00:19:54,390 --> 00:19:57,300 african american mentors , it would not 460 00:19:57,300 --> 00:19:59,356 have been successful because we just 461 00:19:59,356 --> 00:20:01,467 don't have that many african american 462 00:20:01,467 --> 00:20:04,010 mentors are minority mentors in those 463 00:20:04,020 --> 00:20:06,410 positions that can that can make those 464 00:20:06,410 --> 00:20:08,466 introductions and have those kind of 465 00:20:08,466 --> 00:20:11,080 decisions made . So bottom line is one 466 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:13,191 of the reasons I think it's extremely 467 00:20:13,191 --> 00:20:15,247 important that we have cross culture 468 00:20:15,247 --> 00:20:17,358 mentoring is that because if you look 469 00:20:17,358 --> 00:20:19,469 for someone who looks like you , it's 470 00:20:19,469 --> 00:20:21,691 gonna be tough sometimes finding enough 471 00:20:21,691 --> 00:20:23,691 mentors in the right places to help 472 00:20:23,691 --> 00:20:25,858 help you get to where you want to be . 473 00:20:25,858 --> 00:20:28,080 So my advocates have been that way . So 474 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,302 to stay in my comfort zone and asked me 475 00:20:30,302 --> 00:20:32,413 I could , I could not do that because 476 00:20:32,413 --> 00:20:34,469 um I needed to have those mentors in 477 00:20:34,469 --> 00:20:36,580 those particular places to get to the 478 00:20:36,580 --> 00:20:38,600 journey to get to the destination I 479 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:40,656 wanted to get to , and that's how it 480 00:20:40,656 --> 00:20:42,970 worked out . Colonel carol . Do you 481 00:20:42,970 --> 00:20:46,460 have any thoughts I do , but I want to 482 00:20:46,460 --> 00:20:48,560 go back and and just ask you talked 483 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:50,449 about the glass ceiling , can you 484 00:20:50,449 --> 00:20:54,100 repeat that part of the question I'm 485 00:20:54,100 --> 00:20:56,920 paraphrasing , but having mentors of 486 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,440 the same race is that view as being a 487 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:04,110 glass ceiling . So I to uh 488 00:21:04,110 --> 00:21:06,277 and I can share a story , but I wanted 489 00:21:06,277 --> 00:21:08,499 an essence of time because I want us to 490 00:21:08,499 --> 00:21:10,499 get to other questions , but I have 491 00:21:10,499 --> 00:21:14,030 only had really one person that 492 00:21:14,030 --> 00:21:16,830 was a minority to really kind of mentor 493 00:21:16,830 --> 00:21:18,941 me or advocate for me , if you will . 494 00:21:18,941 --> 00:21:21,870 All the other mentors have been uh , to 495 00:21:21,870 --> 00:21:24,092 this point , they have been caucasian . 496 00:21:24,092 --> 00:21:25,981 So , absolutely , a glass ceiling 497 00:21:25,981 --> 00:21:28,530 exists . If I only would seek out those 498 00:21:28,530 --> 00:21:30,808 minority mentors , there would be none , 499 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:33,250 that there would be none . So , so I 500 00:21:33,250 --> 00:21:35,290 would say it does present issues , 501 00:21:35,290 --> 00:21:37,457 There is a glass ceiling when it comes 502 00:21:37,457 --> 00:21:39,660 to uh individuals that are of like 503 00:21:39,670 --> 00:21:42,350 ethnicity uh in the Air Force . 504 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:46,630 Thank you . The next question comes 505 00:21:46,630 --> 00:21:49,590 from our attendees as well . How does 506 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:51,930 everyone feel about also having 507 00:21:51,940 --> 00:21:54,930 advocates in addition to mentors , so 508 00:21:54,930 --> 00:21:57,440 that mentees also have people in the 509 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,290 room to advocate on their behalf when 510 00:22:00,290 --> 00:22:01,290 needed . 511 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:09,030 Mr thomas will start with you . So I 512 00:22:09,030 --> 00:22:12,250 would say that that question answered 513 00:22:12,260 --> 00:22:16,220 itself , as I just mentioned 514 00:22:16,220 --> 00:22:19,530 before , had so many people advocating 515 00:22:19,530 --> 00:22:22,170 for me down that chain , the chain that 516 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:27,000 it took all of them to advocate for me 517 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,280 to get me into that position . Also 518 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:31,447 think about when I'm sitting on panels 519 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:34,310 and the development team panels and 520 00:22:34,310 --> 00:22:36,840 looking at people across the Air Force 521 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:39,007 and looking at vector and those people 522 00:22:39,007 --> 00:22:41,229 to developmental opportunities , if you 523 00:22:41,229 --> 00:22:44,020 have someone in the room who knows you , 524 00:22:44,030 --> 00:22:46,970 who knows you by name , they can speak 525 00:22:46,980 --> 00:22:50,530 to your to your advantages and speak to 526 00:22:50,530 --> 00:22:52,474 what you have to offer for the Air 527 00:22:52,474 --> 00:22:54,850 Force in the room . And it's it's it's 528 00:22:55,340 --> 00:22:58,310 it's almost sad to say , but sometimes 529 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,487 if there's no one in the room to speak 530 00:23:00,487 --> 00:23:02,153 for you , you might miss that 531 00:23:02,153 --> 00:23:04,098 opportunity because you don't have 532 00:23:04,098 --> 00:23:06,153 enough people who understand who you 533 00:23:06,153 --> 00:23:08,209 are and understand what you bring to 534 00:23:08,209 --> 00:23:10,320 the table to advocate for you in that 535 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:11,764 particular situation over 536 00:23:14,140 --> 00:23:15,973 Colonel carol or Master Sergeant 537 00:23:15,973 --> 00:23:18,140 Tremmel , would you like to respond to 538 00:23:18,140 --> 00:23:21,880 that ? Mrs 539 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,158 Sargent trouble . You want to go first ? 540 00:23:24,158 --> 00:23:27,080 No , I think Mr thomas hit hit the nail 541 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:30,850 on the head . So um I don't have 542 00:23:30,850 --> 00:23:33,017 anything extra to say on that one that 543 00:23:33,017 --> 00:23:34,850 topic right there , Maybe you do 544 00:23:34,850 --> 00:23:37,210 conquer . Actually I do thank you for 545 00:23:37,210 --> 00:23:39,450 that . So uh I think the question is 546 00:23:39,450 --> 00:23:41,672 about mentoring and advocates , right ? 547 00:23:41,672 --> 00:23:44,610 So I believe that you can have mentors , 548 00:23:44,620 --> 00:23:46,530 those mentors can be from your 549 00:23:46,530 --> 00:23:48,697 community , your career feel , or they 550 00:23:48,697 --> 00:23:50,863 cannot be from your career fields . So 551 00:23:50,863 --> 00:23:52,863 in my case I grew up as a personnel 552 00:23:52,863 --> 00:23:54,919 officer . And so a lot of my mentors 553 00:23:54,919 --> 00:23:56,641 are not personal officers , so 554 00:23:56,641 --> 00:23:58,752 therefore they cannot advocate for me 555 00:23:58,752 --> 00:24:01,260 at that D . T . As as Mr thomas just 556 00:24:01,260 --> 00:24:04,870 mentioned . And so sometimes um that 557 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,010 advocacy would not be in that room and 558 00:24:08,020 --> 00:24:10,187 be it as it may . I'm a wing Commander 559 00:24:10,187 --> 00:24:13,060 right now . But um when I um as far as 560 00:24:13,060 --> 00:24:15,060 mentoring , I wasn't mentored by my 561 00:24:15,060 --> 00:24:18,190 community , I was actually um mentored 562 00:24:18,190 --> 00:24:20,530 by individuals outside of my community 563 00:24:20,530 --> 00:24:22,641 and outside of my service as a matter 564 00:24:22,641 --> 00:24:24,980 of fact and the advocacy getting me in 565 00:24:24,980 --> 00:24:27,091 Wing Command did not necessarily come 566 00:24:27,091 --> 00:24:29,313 from my own functional community . So , 567 00:24:29,313 --> 00:24:31,424 so I will tell you , it's kind of one 568 00:24:31,424 --> 00:24:33,536 of those things , it's good and bad , 569 00:24:33,536 --> 00:24:35,480 but having someone at the table to 570 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:37,424 speak on your behalf is absolutely 571 00:24:37,424 --> 00:24:39,480 essential . All the mentoring in the 572 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:41,647 world is great , but there needs to be 573 00:24:41,647 --> 00:24:43,813 someone in the table that can speak on 574 00:24:43,813 --> 00:24:45,924 your behalf . And I do believe that's 575 00:24:45,924 --> 00:24:47,869 part of where we lack um the right 576 00:24:47,869 --> 00:24:50,091 representation at the table in the room 577 00:24:50,091 --> 00:24:51,702 because we don't have enough 578 00:24:51,702 --> 00:24:53,702 individuals that are advocating for 579 00:24:53,702 --> 00:24:55,813 those minorities across the Air Force 580 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:00,920 MS coles . I can I can I put a foot 581 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,590 stomp on that . Um 582 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,110 another , not necessarily the story , 583 00:25:06,110 --> 00:25:09,070 but the situation early in my civilian 584 00:25:09,070 --> 00:25:12,710 career , the focus at that time was on 585 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:16,170 daily production . And so 586 00:25:16,180 --> 00:25:18,470 my boss was not interested in hearing 587 00:25:18,470 --> 00:25:20,692 about me getting development or getting 588 00:25:20,692 --> 00:25:22,914 training or advancing because his focus 589 00:25:22,914 --> 00:25:25,410 was on that daily production . So 590 00:25:25,410 --> 00:25:27,040 having someone outside of my 591 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:29,540 organization as a mentor gave me 592 00:25:29,550 --> 00:25:31,328 someone had a totally different 593 00:25:31,328 --> 00:25:33,217 perspective . Once I got to a FMC 594 00:25:33,217 --> 00:25:35,383 headquarters where there were a lot of 595 00:25:35,383 --> 00:25:37,494 senior leaders and their focus was on 596 00:25:37,494 --> 00:25:39,494 growing leaders . So having someone 597 00:25:39,494 --> 00:25:42,260 outside of that direct reporting day to 598 00:25:42,260 --> 00:25:44,950 day reporting chain is an awesome thing 599 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:49,330 over . Thank 600 00:25:49,330 --> 00:25:51,163 you for that . We have questions 601 00:25:51,163 --> 00:25:54,290 pouring in now . Um some of these you 602 00:25:54,290 --> 00:25:56,401 all have already touched so I'm going 603 00:25:56,401 --> 00:25:59,260 to skip around here and one of them , 604 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:05,780 can you talk about your official and 605 00:26:05,790 --> 00:26:08,790 unofficial hard truth discussions that 606 00:26:08,790 --> 00:26:11,012 they've received or delivered as both a 607 00:26:11,012 --> 00:26:13,690 mentor or mentee as constructive 608 00:26:13,690 --> 00:26:16,450 criticism to improve the mentee . 609 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:20,730 That's a difficult one . I'll read it 610 00:26:20,730 --> 00:26:24,360 one more time . Can you all talk 611 00:26:24,370 --> 00:26:26,860 about your official and unofficial hard 612 00:26:26,860 --> 00:26:29,740 truth discussions that you've received 613 00:26:29,740 --> 00:26:32,680 or delivered as both a mentor or mentee 614 00:26:32,690 --> 00:26:35,790 as constructive criticism to improve 615 00:26:35,830 --> 00:26:39,230 the mentee ? While I think I got a 616 00:26:39,230 --> 00:26:42,370 story for this one . Um well me as a 617 00:26:42,370 --> 00:26:46,090 mentee um as you guys know when your 618 00:26:46,090 --> 00:26:49,670 texts are going up to mass aren't um 619 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:52,170 the E . P . R . Is is kind of crucial . 620 00:26:52,180 --> 00:26:55,370 So me I sent it out to probably about 621 00:26:55,370 --> 00:26:57,592 five different chiefs to look over it . 622 00:26:57,592 --> 00:27:00,160 Um see mass Arms to look over it and 623 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,216 some masters to look over it . So my 624 00:27:02,216 --> 00:27:04,104 own peers , just seeing different 625 00:27:04,104 --> 00:27:06,271 career fields , just sort of look over 626 00:27:06,271 --> 00:27:08,493 it . So I thought this year when I went 627 00:27:08,493 --> 00:27:10,660 from master and I thought I had a it's 628 00:27:10,660 --> 00:27:12,493 hot . I thought it was hot and I 629 00:27:12,493 --> 00:27:14,716 thought it was , I did , I was the best 630 00:27:14,716 --> 00:27:16,882 thing smoking on this thing . So those 631 00:27:16,882 --> 00:27:19,850 up there and I just got to promote 632 00:27:21,140 --> 00:27:24,010 comes back . I don't get any feedback , 633 00:27:24,020 --> 00:27:25,798 no feedback from the chief , no 634 00:27:25,798 --> 00:27:27,964 feedback for anybody on the board , no 635 00:27:27,964 --> 00:27:31,370 feedback who looked at it came up to me 636 00:27:31,370 --> 00:27:33,592 and said , hey sam trammell , I've seen 637 00:27:33,592 --> 00:27:35,960 the rest of the packages by far , you 638 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,820 have the best package by far . And he 639 00:27:38,820 --> 00:27:40,598 said you're not gonna fight the 640 00:27:40,598 --> 00:27:42,931 feedback , why am I even talking to you ? 641 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,551 And this is I've known him since I've 642 00:27:45,551 --> 00:27:47,718 been in the Air Force , I've known him 643 00:27:47,718 --> 00:27:49,950 since 2004 and he was talking to me 644 00:27:49,950 --> 00:27:53,680 crazy at at the lunch table . So I was 645 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:56,013 like , oh yeah , I said what's going on ? 646 00:27:56,013 --> 00:27:58,236 He's like if you're not gonna fight for 647 00:27:58,236 --> 00:28:00,402 yourself , then how am I gonna respect 648 00:28:00,402 --> 00:28:02,347 you as a leader because you're not 649 00:28:02,347 --> 00:28:05,620 going to fight for your troops . So and 650 00:28:05,620 --> 00:28:07,676 then after that he turned around and 651 00:28:07,676 --> 00:28:09,731 walked away from edit that's how the 652 00:28:09,731 --> 00:28:11,731 conversation went . And I looked at 653 00:28:11,731 --> 00:28:13,898 myself in the mirror and I said I went 654 00:28:13,898 --> 00:28:16,250 and I said dang . So I went there , 655 00:28:16,250 --> 00:28:17,972 talked to my supervisor and my 656 00:28:17,972 --> 00:28:19,861 supervisor at time was Lieutenant 657 00:28:19,861 --> 00:28:21,694 colonel and he had to get on the 658 00:28:21,694 --> 00:28:25,000 chief's calendar , got feedback , got 659 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:28,880 feedback for the whole team . Um It 660 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:30,991 was was some some feedback . I didn't 661 00:28:30,991 --> 00:28:33,047 like it and I didn't want to hear um 662 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,130 about my writing style but I didn't 663 00:28:36,130 --> 00:28:38,180 want to hear . Um But we made 664 00:28:38,180 --> 00:28:42,040 adjustments and um he 665 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,262 basically told me that the chief at the 666 00:28:44,262 --> 00:28:47,580 time said um I didn't need um I didn't 667 00:28:47,580 --> 00:28:50,960 need the must promote or to promote now 668 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:55,350 to make Master and he said I was gonna 669 00:28:55,350 --> 00:28:57,920 make it and he said you don't need it , 670 00:28:57,920 --> 00:28:59,976 he was gonna give it to somebody who 671 00:28:59,976 --> 00:29:03,680 actually really needed it so it was a 672 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:07,270 hard pill to swallow . Um But I did 673 00:29:07,270 --> 00:29:09,214 request the feedback and I got the 674 00:29:09,214 --> 00:29:11,770 feedback from it . So um and then I 675 00:29:11,770 --> 00:29:15,040 actually made Master off that uh that E . 676 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:18,270 P . R . Um But 677 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:22,407 that that feedback I wasn't even gonna 678 00:29:22,407 --> 00:29:24,629 ask feedback , I was like it is what it 679 00:29:24,629 --> 00:29:26,740 is . I was gonna get a shoulder shrug 680 00:29:26,740 --> 00:29:28,970 and I was gonna hey check it out and 681 00:29:28,970 --> 00:29:32,710 move on . But down some hard feedback . 682 00:29:32,710 --> 00:29:34,932 And me and him talked about it later on 683 00:29:34,932 --> 00:29:37,099 he was like I'm glad you went up there 684 00:29:37,099 --> 00:29:40,740 and actually got that . So you know 685 00:29:40,750 --> 00:29:44,520 um I too have a a 686 00:29:44,530 --> 00:29:48,050 one that I'm the minty so moving along 687 00:29:48,050 --> 00:29:51,710 in my career finished group command and 688 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:54,540 um I'm actually sitting in Iraq waiting 689 00:29:54,540 --> 00:29:56,540 for the results of the CSB for wing 690 00:29:56,540 --> 00:29:58,707 command . So I make the Wing Commander 691 00:29:58,707 --> 00:30:00,707 candidate list . That's kind of you 692 00:30:00,707 --> 00:30:02,873 know , that's what we do when we're up 693 00:30:02,873 --> 00:30:04,818 for that job . And lo and behold I 694 00:30:04,818 --> 00:30:07,080 didn't get a wing and I was like wow ! 695 00:30:07,090 --> 00:30:09,210 I was kind of stunned and shocked as 696 00:30:09,220 --> 00:30:11,387 sergeant trouble just said , it's like 697 00:30:11,387 --> 00:30:13,498 well what happened ? My records or my 698 00:30:13,498 --> 00:30:16,170 records , right ? And and so the first 699 00:30:16,170 --> 00:30:18,980 time I was like well um why did this 700 00:30:18,980 --> 00:30:21,890 happen ? So I did ask for feedback and 701 00:30:21,900 --> 00:30:25,170 I got something to the effect . Well 702 00:30:25,180 --> 00:30:28,270 the Air Force is not placing uh support 703 00:30:28,270 --> 00:30:30,381 officers in airbase wings are looking 704 00:30:30,381 --> 00:30:32,270 at placing more rated officers in 705 00:30:32,270 --> 00:30:34,270 airbase wings . I got that directly 706 00:30:34,270 --> 00:30:36,381 from a three star and I was stunned . 707 00:30:36,381 --> 00:30:39,130 And um and I tell you that right there 708 00:30:39,130 --> 00:30:42,160 was a what was a data point for me as I 709 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:44,270 continue my career from that point . 710 00:30:44,540 --> 00:30:46,707 But I've done everything that I needed 711 00:30:46,707 --> 00:30:48,929 to do for the Air Force and some and my 712 00:30:48,929 --> 00:30:51,151 records were my records , but it didn't 713 00:30:51,151 --> 00:30:53,318 stop me from leading . But it did open 714 00:30:53,318 --> 00:30:55,373 my eyes to to kind of where we're at 715 00:30:55,373 --> 00:30:57,484 today who's leading our Air force and 716 00:30:57,484 --> 00:31:00,660 where we're going and how the A Fsc of 717 00:31:00,660 --> 00:31:04,130 what we serve in . It actually um puts 718 00:31:04,130 --> 00:31:06,352 us on a different trajectory than those 719 00:31:06,352 --> 00:31:08,574 that are serving in the operated side . 720 00:31:08,574 --> 00:31:10,741 Although you're an Airman and a leader 721 00:31:10,741 --> 00:31:12,852 in our Air force . We don't always we 722 00:31:12,852 --> 00:31:15,240 don't always value your leadership . We 723 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:18,160 we more or less value and a fsc . And 724 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:21,320 so that right there was it was a hard 725 00:31:21,330 --> 00:31:23,670 pill to swallow . But I definitely have 726 00:31:23,670 --> 00:31:26,440 talked about that very experience and 727 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:28,551 move forward and now I'm sitting as a 728 00:31:28,551 --> 00:31:30,718 wing commander today . But I will tell 729 00:31:30,718 --> 00:31:32,884 you that was very troubling to me that 730 00:31:32,884 --> 00:31:35,107 I've done everything I needed to do and 731 00:31:35,107 --> 00:31:37,273 some for the Air Force and was told we 732 00:31:37,273 --> 00:31:39,051 were not looking at any support 733 00:31:39,051 --> 00:31:41,273 officers were basically um putting more 734 00:31:41,273 --> 00:31:43,790 rated officers in Airbase wings . And 735 00:31:43,790 --> 00:31:45,846 now I don't know if you know but our 736 00:31:45,846 --> 00:31:48,820 new Chief of Staff chief joe brown has 737 00:31:48,830 --> 00:31:52,160 actually said no more um no more rated 738 00:31:52,170 --> 00:31:54,392 individuals will serve in those Airbase 739 00:31:54,392 --> 00:31:56,503 wings because that's taking away from 740 00:31:56,503 --> 00:31:58,726 your support officers . So I share that 741 00:31:58,726 --> 00:32:00,448 with you because uh I actually 742 00:32:00,448 --> 00:32:02,670 experienced that when I was up for wing 743 00:32:02,670 --> 00:32:04,670 command . So uh that that is one of 744 00:32:04,670 --> 00:32:06,614 those hard truths but no one could 745 00:32:06,614 --> 00:32:08,781 really give me an answer . It was kind 746 00:32:08,781 --> 00:32:10,837 of the textbook answer if you will . 747 00:32:10,837 --> 00:32:12,837 And um but I wanted to share that . 748 00:32:12,837 --> 00:32:12,460 That does still happen . 749 00:32:19,340 --> 00:32:23,140 Mr thomas . Yes , 750 00:32:23,150 --> 00:32:25,206 awesome . I I couldn't tell for sure 751 00:32:25,206 --> 00:32:27,372 whether you're waiting for me or not . 752 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,160 So I'd like to talk about kind of the 753 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:33,290 flip side of what uh Colonel carol just 754 00:32:33,290 --> 00:32:36,320 mentioned . She obviously had what it 755 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:39,160 took to be a commander and she's 756 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,270 obviously ready for it . Um So 757 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:44,700 thinking about that . One of my 758 00:32:44,700 --> 00:32:47,170 mentoring sessions where I had mm hmm , 759 00:32:47,540 --> 00:32:50,090 two Answers for a mentee . That was the 760 00:32:50,090 --> 00:32:52,257 official and that was the unofficial . 761 00:32:52,340 --> 00:32:54,507 And I think you want me to be open and 762 00:32:54,507 --> 00:32:56,673 honest today and I'm going to open and 763 00:32:56,673 --> 00:32:58,729 honest and individuals wondering why 764 00:32:58,729 --> 00:33:01,470 they didn't get some opportunity . And 765 00:33:01,470 --> 00:33:03,414 the official answer was , it's not 766 00:33:03,414 --> 00:33:05,581 necessarily something that you did and 767 00:33:05,581 --> 00:33:07,692 there was a competition and where the 768 00:33:07,692 --> 00:33:09,803 process works . You have these things 769 00:33:09,803 --> 00:33:11,914 that you are judged by and apparently 770 00:33:11,914 --> 00:33:14,137 you were not at the same level as other 771 00:33:14,137 --> 00:33:16,900 folks who took those who competing for 772 00:33:16,900 --> 00:33:19,840 that position . The artificial 773 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,990 discussion was if you believe that 774 00:33:22,990 --> 00:33:25,212 there are other reasons you did not get 775 00:33:25,212 --> 00:33:28,180 that . One thing you can do is what 776 00:33:28,190 --> 00:33:30,990 Colonel Carol did on her career is be 777 00:33:30,990 --> 00:33:34,580 sure you give no one an excuse not to 778 00:33:34,590 --> 00:33:37,630 give you the job . So when you do 779 00:33:37,630 --> 00:33:40,470 question that , that that's one thing 780 00:33:40,470 --> 00:33:42,692 that they cannot hold against you . One 781 00:33:42,692 --> 00:33:44,770 good example is when I was denied 782 00:33:44,770 --> 00:33:46,714 training early in my civil service 783 00:33:46,714 --> 00:33:49,090 career , I was not allowed to do any 784 00:33:49,090 --> 00:33:51,257 training and I won't go to the rest of 785 00:33:51,257 --> 00:33:53,479 that story right now . But I was told I 786 00:33:53,479 --> 00:33:55,534 didn't need any more training . They 787 00:33:55,540 --> 00:33:57,596 and as I said earlier , it was about 788 00:33:57,596 --> 00:33:59,262 production , it was not about 789 00:33:59,262 --> 00:34:01,360 developments about production . Um , 790 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:06,720 but when I realized that I was not 791 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,770 going to develop in the office during 792 00:34:09,770 --> 00:34:12,560 office time , that was when I started 793 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:15,340 my master's degree And after I get the 794 00:34:15,350 --> 00:34:17,406 degree part time at night four years 795 00:34:17,406 --> 00:34:21,010 later in less than six months I was I 796 00:34:21,010 --> 00:34:23,470 had my first civil service promotion 797 00:34:24,140 --> 00:34:26,196 because at that point the degree was 798 00:34:26,196 --> 00:34:28,460 the thing that was the differentiator 799 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:31,510 and the degree in P . M . E . So I made 800 00:34:31,510 --> 00:34:34,150 sure that the next time I was eligible 801 00:34:34,210 --> 00:34:36,610 and had to compete all those things 802 00:34:36,610 --> 00:34:39,040 were in the right place and uh I'll 803 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:41,262 have to say it was very hard for anyone 804 00:34:41,262 --> 00:34:43,262 to say no because I've done all the 805 00:34:43,262 --> 00:34:45,484 things the Air Force had asked me to do 806 00:34:45,484 --> 00:34:47,651 all the things they're force that they 807 00:34:47,651 --> 00:34:49,860 valued . I had done so be ready . Um 808 00:34:50,240 --> 00:34:53,560 Don't give anyone an excuse to say no 809 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:56,970 oh thank you . 810 00:34:58,140 --> 00:35:01,680 The next question is how can a non 811 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:05,000 minority help in mentoring and try and 812 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,880 maintain sensitivity to issues we may 813 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:10,810 not have experienced . How can a non 814 00:35:10,810 --> 00:35:13,400 minority help in mentoring and try and 815 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:15,511 maintain sensitivity to issues we may 816 00:35:15,511 --> 00:35:19,000 not have experienced . Mr thomas . 817 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:22,151 I was hoping you coming first on that 818 00:35:22,151 --> 00:35:26,090 one . Uh So the first thing I would say 819 00:35:26,090 --> 00:35:29,540 is for for a non minority is to be 820 00:35:29,550 --> 00:35:33,170 yourself . Don't try to be the person 821 00:35:33,170 --> 00:35:35,450 you think I want you to be or to be 822 00:35:35,460 --> 00:35:37,571 like me or to try to show that you're 823 00:35:37,571 --> 00:35:41,090 like me be yourself because that way I 824 00:35:41,090 --> 00:35:44,940 will be much more able to uh 825 00:35:44,950 --> 00:35:47,410 to trust you , you have much more 826 00:35:47,410 --> 00:35:49,466 credibility with me if I know you're 827 00:35:49,466 --> 00:35:51,521 being yourself , you're being honest 828 00:35:51,521 --> 00:35:54,250 and up front the other piece is I think 829 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:58,110 I think one of the biggest traps in a 830 00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:00,210 cross cultural discussion is 831 00:36:00,210 --> 00:36:04,090 stereotyping . It's very easy to say or 832 00:36:04,090 --> 00:36:07,650 ask questions to an individual about a 833 00:36:07,650 --> 00:36:09,594 demographic . When that individual 834 00:36:09,594 --> 00:36:11,594 cannot answer that question for the 835 00:36:11,594 --> 00:36:13,780 demographic . If you ask me , how do 836 00:36:13,780 --> 00:36:16,780 men think about this ? I can only tell 837 00:36:16,780 --> 00:36:19,180 you what one man thinks . You know , 838 00:36:19,190 --> 00:36:21,330 how does an african american think 839 00:36:21,330 --> 00:36:23,910 about this ? I can only tell you what 840 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:26,198 one african american thinks about this . 841 00:36:26,198 --> 00:36:28,253 So stereotyping , I think could be a 842 00:36:28,253 --> 00:36:30,142 trap . Uh and when that happens , 843 00:36:30,142 --> 00:36:32,476 you've got to be sure that first of all , 844 00:36:32,476 --> 00:36:34,587 you respect each other in that mentor 845 00:36:34,587 --> 00:36:36,753 mentee relationship , you respect each 846 00:36:36,753 --> 00:36:38,698 other enough to say when there are 847 00:36:38,698 --> 00:36:40,253 discussions that are either 848 00:36:40,253 --> 00:36:42,364 inappropriate or discussions that may 849 00:36:42,364 --> 00:36:45,310 be potentially offensive . You've got 850 00:36:45,310 --> 00:36:47,820 to be up front and and and do that . 851 00:36:47,830 --> 00:36:50,360 But I think talking to non minorities 852 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:54,130 biggest thing is reach out to be 853 00:36:54,130 --> 00:36:57,250 proactive . Look for a diverse 854 00:36:57,260 --> 00:36:59,750 group of folks to mentor . Don't look 855 00:36:59,750 --> 00:37:01,806 to one group or or any other group . 856 00:37:01,806 --> 00:37:05,220 Look to diversify and give opportunity , 857 00:37:05,230 --> 00:37:08,030 spread the opportunity around . Um you 858 00:37:08,030 --> 00:37:10,197 might even be in a situation where the 859 00:37:10,197 --> 00:37:12,363 mentees might not all say yes , but at 860 00:37:12,363 --> 00:37:15,060 least be proactive and understand the 861 00:37:15,060 --> 00:37:17,004 value of , of the diversity of our 862 00:37:17,004 --> 00:37:19,227 organizations . We're not trying to get 863 00:37:19,227 --> 00:37:21,282 divers were already diverse Now it's 864 00:37:21,282 --> 00:37:24,160 the inclusion piece . So reach out and 865 00:37:24,170 --> 00:37:26,550 just be proactive over 866 00:37:30,730 --> 00:37:33,840 well . Um , for that question . Um 867 00:37:34,530 --> 00:37:36,710 just like Mr thomas said , I said be 868 00:37:36,710 --> 00:37:39,340 authentic . Um once you've come to talk 869 00:37:39,340 --> 00:37:42,910 to someone , be authentic because I 870 00:37:42,910 --> 00:37:46,710 think I respond better or me 871 00:37:46,720 --> 00:37:48,609 personally just respond better to 872 00:37:48,609 --> 00:37:50,776 somebody who's gonna be real with me , 873 00:37:50,776 --> 00:37:54,330 cut through the Bs and just 874 00:37:54,340 --> 00:37:56,960 just be real with me . Talk to me . Uh 875 00:37:56,970 --> 00:37:59,081 some people might shy away because we 876 00:37:59,081 --> 00:38:02,510 might find that . Um , I heard this all 877 00:38:02,510 --> 00:38:04,566 the time from african americans were 878 00:38:04,566 --> 00:38:08,490 difficult um where we might 879 00:38:08,490 --> 00:38:12,180 be uh , we got bad facial expressions , 880 00:38:12,180 --> 00:38:16,170 so might be the most hated 881 00:38:16,170 --> 00:38:20,140 person in the room . But how do I reach 882 00:38:20,140 --> 00:38:22,990 that person ? Um just go out there and 883 00:38:22,990 --> 00:38:24,879 try to be yourself . Just like Mr 884 00:38:24,879 --> 00:38:26,768 thomas said and be real with that 885 00:38:26,768 --> 00:38:28,990 person . Um don't bring up any of those 886 00:38:28,990 --> 00:38:31,212 biases that you might have towards that 887 00:38:31,212 --> 00:38:33,212 person . Meet them at their level , 888 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:37,310 Meet them and tell them , hey , me 889 00:38:37,310 --> 00:38:39,421 personally I learn a little bit about 890 00:38:39,421 --> 00:38:41,643 their family , learn a little bit about 891 00:38:41,643 --> 00:38:43,754 their upbringing , learn a little bit 892 00:38:43,754 --> 00:38:45,880 about , I , hey , do they have both 893 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:48,260 parents in the home ? Um , I know a 894 00:38:48,260 --> 00:38:50,371 trick that I usually use with some of 895 00:38:50,371 --> 00:38:52,950 my troops . I called their mom or I 896 00:38:52,950 --> 00:38:55,006 went to , they call their mom said , 897 00:38:55,006 --> 00:38:57,228 hey , call your mom . So I will be your 898 00:38:57,228 --> 00:38:59,420 supervisor . So hey , you get , hey , 899 00:38:59,430 --> 00:39:01,510 tell me what , hey mom and he has a 900 00:39:01,510 --> 00:39:03,621 problem calling you hey let me know . 901 00:39:03,621 --> 00:39:05,940 Here's my number . You called him . Oh 902 00:39:06,420 --> 00:39:09,900 but to each his own you have to know 903 00:39:09,900 --> 00:39:12,011 them . You have to learn a little bit 904 00:39:12,011 --> 00:39:14,400 about them and it takes time , takes a 905 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:18,200 little patience . It's not gonna happen 906 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:20,590 overnight because like some of our 907 00:39:20,590 --> 00:39:22,757 stories we said earlier in the earlier 908 00:39:22,757 --> 00:39:25,950 questions um it's gonna take some time . 909 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:28,376 It's just not gonna that person just 910 00:39:28,376 --> 00:39:30,487 not gonna pour into you all at once . 911 00:39:30,487 --> 00:39:33,700 So uh take some time . Take some little 912 00:39:33,700 --> 00:39:36,560 patience , tastes a little love . You 913 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,671 gotta bring all that to the table . I 914 00:39:38,671 --> 00:39:42,450 know it's hard . Oh but it can be done . 915 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:46,980 Um I've seen it done had done on 916 00:39:46,980 --> 00:39:49,990 me . It takes a little time , affection , 917 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,850 patience , love . And then it's gonna 918 00:39:52,850 --> 00:39:55,072 take a little bit of your life , take a 919 00:39:55,072 --> 00:39:57,239 little bit of that time in your life . 920 00:39:57,239 --> 00:39:59,620 So to make it happen and onto you 921 00:39:59,630 --> 00:40:03,600 conquer . Okay , I won't spend 922 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:05,860 that much time on it . But you said uh 923 00:40:05,870 --> 00:40:08,148 non minorities , what what can they do ? 924 00:40:08,148 --> 00:40:10,092 Really listen , listen and gain an 925 00:40:10,092 --> 00:40:12,320 understanding . It gets back to mr 926 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:14,630 thomas point about bias , bias is a 927 00:40:14,630 --> 00:40:16,741 real thing . We have gender bias . We 928 00:40:16,741 --> 00:40:19,260 have , we have all types of biases and 929 00:40:19,270 --> 00:40:21,690 ISMs and really it's about listening . 930 00:40:21,700 --> 00:40:24,350 Uh as as I often say there's urban 931 00:40:24,350 --> 00:40:26,350 legends about all of us out there . 932 00:40:26,350 --> 00:40:28,183 What someone may say that really 933 00:40:28,183 --> 00:40:30,570 doesn't doesn't really have a true the 934 00:40:30,580 --> 00:40:32,802 truth behind the narrative , but once a 935 00:40:32,802 --> 00:40:34,969 narrative starts on an individual , it 936 00:40:34,969 --> 00:40:37,080 may gain legs and it has zero truth . 937 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:39,302 So really it's about , let's break down 938 00:40:39,302 --> 00:40:39,190 the barriers and have a real 939 00:40:39,190 --> 00:40:41,190 conversation , let's speak truth to 940 00:40:41,190 --> 00:40:43,580 power we talk about and you can always 941 00:40:43,580 --> 00:40:45,747 believe what you hear . And if there's 942 00:40:45,747 --> 00:40:47,691 an issue , address it head on . So 943 00:40:47,691 --> 00:40:49,760 sometimes and I actually have non 944 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:51,982 minority mentors and we have those real 945 00:40:51,982 --> 00:40:54,630 conversations about how something may 946 00:40:54,630 --> 00:40:56,840 have happened to me and the same thing 947 00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:59,007 happened to them , but it was received 948 00:40:59,007 --> 00:41:00,840 differently . And so it's really 949 00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:02,784 enlightening when you have someone 950 00:41:02,784 --> 00:41:04,784 that's willing to listen and really 951 00:41:04,784 --> 00:41:07,007 willing to gain an understanding , it's 952 00:41:07,007 --> 00:41:09,118 a real thing . And I think that right 953 00:41:09,118 --> 00:41:11,229 there is very helpful , this thing is 954 00:41:11,229 --> 00:41:13,040 key . And I'm done back to you 955 00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:15,980 moderated again . Thank you so much . 956 00:41:15,990 --> 00:41:18,280 Um I believe you've answered this , but 957 00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:20,960 I'm going to ask it as a frequent 958 00:41:20,970 --> 00:41:23,950 informal mentor of african americans 959 00:41:23,960 --> 00:41:26,780 who are usually interns at first , I'm 960 00:41:26,780 --> 00:41:28,860 sometimes hesitant to bring up race 961 00:41:28,870 --> 00:41:31,430 until or unless they do , do you have a 962 00:41:31,430 --> 00:41:32,652 perspective on this ? 963 00:41:38,810 --> 00:41:40,940 So I'll start that one if it's okay . 964 00:41:41,910 --> 00:41:45,590 Um I think what you're doing is 965 00:41:45,590 --> 00:41:47,701 exactly right . If there's no need to 966 00:41:47,701 --> 00:41:49,780 bring up race , there's no need to 967 00:41:49,780 --> 00:41:52,940 bring up Race if they feel if your 968 00:41:52,940 --> 00:41:54,884 mentee feels that perception has a 969 00:41:54,884 --> 00:41:57,000 perception or reality that they're 970 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:59,222 having challenges because of their race 971 00:41:59,222 --> 00:42:01,500 and they want to discuss that with you , 972 00:42:01,500 --> 00:42:03,333 uh you know absolutely have that 973 00:42:03,333 --> 00:42:05,290 discussion , having open mutually 974 00:42:05,290 --> 00:42:07,470 respective discussion about their 975 00:42:07,470 --> 00:42:10,410 challenges and talk about where you see 976 00:42:10,410 --> 00:42:14,130 there may be um potential to resolve 977 00:42:14,130 --> 00:42:17,260 those issues . But absolutely don't I 978 00:42:17,270 --> 00:42:19,820 would not feel obligated to talk about 979 00:42:19,820 --> 00:42:21,598 race , just like you would feel 980 00:42:21,598 --> 00:42:23,487 obligated to talk about race with 981 00:42:23,487 --> 00:42:25,709 someone of the same race . Obligated to 982 00:42:25,709 --> 00:42:27,876 talk about gender if it's a woman that 983 00:42:27,876 --> 00:42:30,098 you're mentoring . So yeah let let them 984 00:42:30,098 --> 00:42:32,320 call that shot . Let them be the one to 985 00:42:32,320 --> 00:42:34,376 say I want to have that discussion . 986 00:42:35,100 --> 00:42:37,322 Anyone else have any thoughts on that ? 987 00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:40,567 I agree with you . Mr thomas . The one 988 00:42:40,567 --> 00:42:42,733 thing I always say what's on your mind 989 00:42:42,733 --> 00:42:44,900 right ? And sometimes they may want to 990 00:42:44,900 --> 00:42:46,956 bring it up but don't really have an 991 00:42:46,956 --> 00:42:49,122 opening . And it's like , so what else 992 00:42:49,122 --> 00:42:51,233 is on your mind ? How can I help ? So 993 00:42:51,233 --> 00:42:53,289 how can I help when truly brings out 994 00:42:53,289 --> 00:42:55,410 all types of discussions and um that 995 00:42:55,410 --> 00:42:57,960 sometimes brings up the racial the 996 00:42:57,970 --> 00:42:59,860 female , whatever it may be . But 997 00:42:59,860 --> 00:43:02,070 asking how can I help you or what's 998 00:43:02,070 --> 00:43:04,237 going on in your life ? I think breaks 999 00:43:04,237 --> 00:43:06,660 the barrier down and whether it is the 1000 00:43:06,660 --> 00:43:10,050 same same same um ethnicity or 1001 00:43:10,050 --> 00:43:12,050 different ethnicity . It does allow 1002 00:43:12,050 --> 00:43:15,330 that conversation to get sparked over 1003 00:43:15,330 --> 00:43:17,497 to you starting trouble if you want to 1004 00:43:17,497 --> 00:43:19,663 add . Yeah well Colonel carol said , I 1005 00:43:19,663 --> 00:43:21,774 agree with you gotta break down those 1006 00:43:21,774 --> 00:43:23,886 barriers um because you just can't go 1007 00:43:23,886 --> 00:43:25,997 in hot and just say , hey let's bring 1008 00:43:25,997 --> 00:43:28,108 it up . You got to break down some of 1009 00:43:28,108 --> 00:43:30,108 those barriers and just like I said 1010 00:43:30,108 --> 00:43:32,108 before it's gonna take some time um 1011 00:43:32,108 --> 00:43:33,997 once that person gets comfortable 1012 00:43:33,997 --> 00:43:36,108 enough with you um then if you have a 1013 00:43:36,108 --> 00:43:38,330 question or something and you have that 1014 00:43:38,330 --> 00:43:40,497 type of relationship , then I said you 1015 00:43:40,497 --> 00:43:42,719 can bring it up . But other than that I 1016 00:43:42,719 --> 00:43:45,390 don't think unless you have some kind 1017 00:43:45,390 --> 00:43:47,612 of question , but I don't I don't think 1018 00:43:47,612 --> 00:43:49,834 you should bring it up . Starting off a 1019 00:43:49,834 --> 00:43:52,380 brand new mentor mentee relationship 1020 00:43:52,390 --> 00:43:54,334 racial and can be brought into the 1021 00:43:54,334 --> 00:43:57,190 equation before we go to the next 1022 00:43:57,190 --> 00:43:59,246 question . I do want to give you the 1023 00:43:59,246 --> 00:44:01,246 reverse of that from the supervisor 1024 00:44:01,246 --> 00:44:03,246 mentoring just a feedback session . 1025 00:44:03,246 --> 00:44:05,830 Most of my Raiders have been white 1026 00:44:05,830 --> 00:44:08,630 males caucasian and we do have the 1027 00:44:08,630 --> 00:44:10,797 conversation because I bring it up , I 1028 00:44:10,797 --> 00:44:13,019 bring it up and I just put it out there 1029 00:44:13,019 --> 00:44:15,241 and I bring it up in the context of all 1030 00:44:15,241 --> 00:44:17,408 the various studies that the Air Force 1031 00:44:17,408 --> 00:44:19,463 has done when we start talking about 1032 00:44:19,463 --> 00:44:21,686 racial disparity , diversity equity and 1033 00:44:21,686 --> 00:44:23,852 inclusion and what it means . You know 1034 00:44:23,852 --> 00:44:25,908 when you see someone that looks like 1035 00:44:25,908 --> 00:44:25,590 you're in a role or how to get there . 1036 00:44:25,590 --> 00:44:29,320 So I have often brought it up because I 1037 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:31,560 did have one boss to say to me , I 1038 00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:33,504 don't understand what you're going 1039 00:44:33,504 --> 00:44:35,560 through and I said well how about we 1040 00:44:35,560 --> 00:44:37,727 talk about it . So so that right there 1041 00:44:37,727 --> 00:44:40,060 uh allowed me to spark the conversation , 1042 00:44:40,060 --> 00:44:42,060 he wanted to have it but he did not 1043 00:44:42,060 --> 00:44:44,282 know how to bring it up . And uh and it 1044 00:44:44,282 --> 00:44:46,504 was basically during a feedback session 1045 00:44:46,504 --> 00:44:48,616 when when you're sitting at the table 1046 00:44:48,616 --> 00:44:50,782 and no one at the table looks like you 1047 00:44:50,782 --> 00:44:52,838 everyone is a male . You're the only 1048 00:44:52,838 --> 00:44:55,060 woman in that , in that um in the staff 1049 00:44:55,060 --> 00:44:57,393 meeting if you will with senior leaders . 1050 00:44:57,393 --> 00:44:59,670 And so it has been very refreshing to 1051 00:44:59,670 --> 00:45:01,860 to provide my perspective . And again 1052 00:45:01,870 --> 00:45:04,560 he listened and of course he says you 1053 00:45:04,560 --> 00:45:06,782 know he come in and I know I will never 1054 00:45:06,782 --> 00:45:08,893 understand but thanks for sharing and 1055 00:45:08,893 --> 00:45:11,060 and therefore that becomes an advocate 1056 00:45:11,060 --> 00:45:13,340 on the things that I may actually 1057 00:45:13,340 --> 00:45:15,507 endure as a female and then an african 1058 00:45:15,507 --> 00:45:17,284 american female in a leadership 1059 00:45:17,284 --> 00:45:19,284 position . So that's the reverse of 1060 00:45:19,284 --> 00:45:21,340 that type of discussion . So back to 1061 00:45:21,340 --> 00:45:23,451 your moderator , I just wanted to put 1062 00:45:23,451 --> 00:45:26,870 that in there . Thank you prior to this 1063 00:45:26,870 --> 00:45:28,690 question , Colonel Carol . You 1064 00:45:28,690 --> 00:45:32,240 mentioned um you mentioned bias . And 1065 00:45:32,240 --> 00:45:34,296 so that sparked me to go through the 1066 00:45:34,296 --> 00:45:36,407 question and here is a question about 1067 00:45:36,407 --> 00:45:38,330 bias . How have you dealt with 1068 00:45:38,340 --> 00:45:41,140 unconscious bias and racially charged 1069 00:45:41,150 --> 00:45:43,470 issues . This conversation can be from 1070 00:45:43,470 --> 00:45:45,526 a mentoring perspective or of course 1071 00:45:45,526 --> 00:45:47,581 your personal perspective . How have 1072 00:45:47,581 --> 00:45:49,850 you dealt with unconscious bias and 1073 00:45:49,850 --> 00:45:52,470 racially charged issues ? Colonel carol 1074 00:45:52,470 --> 00:45:55,330 I'll start with you on this one . Well 1075 00:45:55,340 --> 00:45:57,562 I tell you that's a loaded question and 1076 00:45:57,562 --> 00:45:59,784 we don't have enough time to really get 1077 00:45:59,784 --> 00:46:02,640 into this . So so what I will say is uh 1078 00:46:02,650 --> 00:46:04,650 I've actually , you know , racially 1079 00:46:04,650 --> 00:46:06,890 charged issues I've dealt with one very 1080 00:46:06,890 --> 00:46:09,630 recently and I and I broke it down 1081 00:46:09,630 --> 00:46:11,920 clear and said , would we be having the 1082 00:46:11,920 --> 00:46:14,650 same conversation if the same thing was 1083 00:46:14,650 --> 00:46:17,280 said by someone that doesn't look like 1084 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:18,890 me ? So why are we having a 1085 00:46:18,890 --> 00:46:21,550 conversation now ? Why why is it uh 1086 00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:25,250 that when decisions are made that we 1087 00:46:25,260 --> 00:46:27,550 uh and I'll say we the majority don't 1088 00:46:27,560 --> 00:46:29,810 agree with . Then there's an issue with 1089 00:46:29,810 --> 00:46:31,921 the person's decision , Although it's 1090 00:46:31,921 --> 00:46:34,032 not wrong . It's it doesn't break the 1091 00:46:34,032 --> 00:46:35,977 law . It is merely how that person 1092 00:46:35,977 --> 00:46:37,977 decides to make a decision in their 1093 00:46:37,977 --> 00:46:40,250 decision space . Right ? So I think 1094 00:46:40,250 --> 00:46:42,940 that right there , it's probably the 1095 00:46:42,940 --> 00:46:46,250 crux of a lot of things people because 1096 00:46:46,250 --> 00:46:48,740 you don't do how they would do it . It 1097 00:46:48,740 --> 00:46:51,360 then says they say you're wrong , but 1098 00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:53,582 why are you wrong ? Because I didn't do 1099 00:46:53,582 --> 00:46:55,804 it exactly how you wanted me to do it . 1100 00:46:55,804 --> 00:46:58,027 But that's what makes diversity such an 1101 00:46:58,027 --> 00:46:59,971 amazing thing . We bring different 1102 00:46:59,971 --> 00:47:02,082 differences of thought experiences to 1103 00:47:02,082 --> 00:47:04,750 the table and albeit as long as the 1104 00:47:04,750 --> 00:47:06,917 mission is getting done and you're not 1105 00:47:06,917 --> 00:47:08,972 breaking the law , that's what makes 1106 00:47:08,972 --> 00:47:11,170 diversity amazing . And so I've been 1107 00:47:11,170 --> 00:47:13,350 actually , and I've witnessed a 1108 00:47:13,350 --> 00:47:15,640 racially charged discussion and had to 1109 00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:17,807 basically say , so would you be having 1110 00:47:17,807 --> 00:47:19,862 the same conversation if I was a man 1111 00:47:20,380 --> 00:47:23,280 And it kind of people sit back and and 1112 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:25,613 they have they have to catch themselves ? 1113 00:47:25,613 --> 00:47:27,613 And I'll also say , so is this a is 1114 00:47:27,613 --> 00:47:30,390 this a racism discrimination or bias ? 1115 00:47:30,390 --> 00:47:32,560 Which one is it ? And I think you have 1116 00:47:32,560 --> 00:47:34,727 to you really have to put it out there 1117 00:47:34,727 --> 00:47:36,980 on the table and have the conversation 1118 00:47:36,990 --> 00:47:39,101 or else we will continue to go around 1119 00:47:39,101 --> 00:47:41,101 in a circle and have another report 1120 00:47:41,101 --> 00:47:44,440 done that says it does exist in our Air 1121 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:46,607 Force or in Department of Defense . So 1122 00:47:46,607 --> 00:47:48,829 I I don't want to take all the time but 1123 00:47:48,829 --> 00:47:50,829 over to you mr thomas to see if you 1124 00:47:50,829 --> 00:47:52,829 want to add anything because I know 1125 00:47:52,829 --> 00:47:54,940 we're running out of time . Thank you 1126 00:47:54,940 --> 00:47:56,890 for that question . Well just real 1127 00:47:56,890 --> 00:47:59,230 quickly . Of course it's it's hard to 1128 00:47:59,230 --> 00:48:01,930 know when biases involved uh in 1129 00:48:01,930 --> 00:48:03,986 yourself or anyone else . Especially 1130 00:48:03,986 --> 00:48:06,152 when you say it's unconscious . So you 1131 00:48:06,152 --> 00:48:08,374 don't know you have that bias . So I'll 1132 00:48:08,374 --> 00:48:10,430 talk a little bit a little bit about 1133 00:48:10,430 --> 00:48:12,263 the racially charged issues . Um 1134 00:48:12,263 --> 00:48:14,430 Similar situation to Colonel Carolyn . 1135 00:48:14,430 --> 00:48:17,950 One situation where I was specifically 1136 00:48:17,960 --> 00:48:21,340 uh told that when I hired a group of I . 1137 00:48:21,340 --> 00:48:23,540 T . Professionals down it , Well I 1138 00:48:23,540 --> 00:48:26,180 won't say which base I have three bases . 1139 00:48:26,180 --> 00:48:28,402 I've been charging engineers at roberts 1140 00:48:28,402 --> 00:48:30,569 Hill and Tinkers . I won't call anyone 1141 00:48:30,569 --> 00:48:32,900 out . But the comment from my civilian 1142 00:48:32,900 --> 00:48:35,920 director was that if I hired those five 1143 00:48:36,010 --> 00:48:37,954 people they could not all be black 1144 00:48:37,954 --> 00:48:40,177 because they had been comments about me 1145 00:48:40,177 --> 00:48:42,540 hiring blacks . And of course without 1146 00:48:42,540 --> 00:48:44,651 thinking . My first question was what 1147 00:48:44,651 --> 00:48:47,330 can they all be white ? So I say that 1148 00:48:47,330 --> 00:48:49,930 to say that that was a fairly emotional 1149 00:48:49,930 --> 00:48:52,130 response . But what I normally try to 1150 00:48:52,130 --> 00:48:54,550 do is not respond immediately because I 1151 00:48:54,550 --> 00:48:56,772 want to have time to think about it and 1152 00:48:56,772 --> 00:48:58,939 be sure I don't put myself in the same 1153 00:48:58,939 --> 00:49:00,883 situation as a person who's making 1154 00:49:00,883 --> 00:49:03,050 those those statements . So normally I 1155 00:49:03,050 --> 00:49:05,272 kinda as some of my friends to say down 1156 00:49:05,272 --> 00:49:07,439 home , I kind of file that back and so 1157 00:49:07,439 --> 00:49:09,217 next time I'm dealing with that 1158 00:49:09,217 --> 00:49:11,217 individual , that's the part I know 1159 00:49:11,217 --> 00:49:13,439 that's a part of not who they are and I 1160 00:49:13,439 --> 00:49:15,439 collect on that and when , when the 1161 00:49:15,439 --> 00:49:17,494 time is right and I feel comfortable 1162 00:49:17,494 --> 00:49:19,661 that I have a rational discussion that 1163 00:49:19,661 --> 00:49:21,772 I can have with the individual . They 1164 00:49:21,772 --> 00:49:21,360 would sit down and have that rational 1165 00:49:21,360 --> 00:49:23,416 discussion and ask some real pointed 1166 00:49:23,416 --> 00:49:25,630 questions over 1167 00:49:30,070 --> 00:49:32,126 Master Sergeant travel . Do you have 1168 00:49:32,126 --> 00:49:34,660 any comments um for this one ? Um maybe 1169 00:49:34,670 --> 00:49:38,250 um I have tough conversations like that . 1170 00:49:38,260 --> 00:49:42,200 Um I had one recently . Um 1171 00:49:42,210 --> 00:49:44,800 everybody knows the symbol with the 1172 00:49:44,810 --> 00:49:48,780 snake on it . I was out at a air force 1173 00:49:48,780 --> 00:49:50,836 event and one of my troops had it on 1174 00:49:51,670 --> 00:49:53,920 and me and him had a sit down talk 1175 00:49:53,930 --> 00:49:55,708 about it . So we had a sit down 1176 00:49:55,708 --> 00:49:59,100 conversation about it because I just 1177 00:49:59,100 --> 00:50:01,440 wanted to know why he had it on . Was 1178 00:50:01,440 --> 00:50:04,350 he , was he part of some kind of 1179 00:50:04,350 --> 00:50:06,690 affiliation or anything else like that 1180 00:50:07,700 --> 00:50:10,690 has some tough conversations . Um but 1181 00:50:11,460 --> 00:50:14,350 um to say all that , the conversation 1182 00:50:14,350 --> 00:50:16,710 went good . It went back and forth . Um 1183 00:50:16,720 --> 00:50:18,980 I said my views , he said his views . 1184 00:50:19,560 --> 00:50:22,250 Um I came to a consensus 1185 00:50:22,820 --> 00:50:25,680 that you know , he had a respect for me 1186 00:50:25,680 --> 00:50:27,902 after that I had a respect for him . So 1187 00:50:27,960 --> 00:50:30,130 just so he knows his views that I was 1188 00:50:30,130 --> 00:50:32,241 looking at it through a narrow lens , 1189 00:50:32,241 --> 00:50:34,810 just what I see on tv and he showed me 1190 00:50:34,820 --> 00:50:37,140 brought some history about it , I read 1191 00:50:37,140 --> 00:50:38,696 about it and I had a better 1192 00:50:38,696 --> 00:50:41,720 understanding about it . So um it takes 1193 00:50:41,720 --> 00:50:43,498 tough conversations like that . 1194 00:50:43,498 --> 00:50:46,170 Sometimes I was deployed . I also had a 1195 00:50:46,170 --> 00:50:48,620 tough conversation . Um the two 1196 00:50:48,620 --> 00:50:50,509 leadership position never been to 1197 00:50:50,509 --> 00:50:53,470 leadership positions in my unit were 1198 00:50:53,470 --> 00:50:55,692 african american and the lowest ranking 1199 00:50:55,692 --> 00:50:57,637 person was caucasian . So we had a 1200 00:50:57,637 --> 00:51:00,220 dialogue one day about how he felt 1201 00:51:00,220 --> 00:51:02,530 about the situation and he felt like he 1202 00:51:02,530 --> 00:51:04,419 really couldn't be himself and he 1203 00:51:04,419 --> 00:51:08,370 couldn't talk . I said geez I I I don't 1204 00:51:08,370 --> 00:51:11,690 know I so we had to talk about it right 1205 00:51:11,690 --> 00:51:13,857 from the beginning , how he felt about 1206 00:51:13,857 --> 00:51:15,912 it , how he felt about the situation 1207 00:51:15,912 --> 00:51:18,079 and I never thought that he would feel 1208 00:51:18,079 --> 00:51:21,330 that way . Um but just like I said , we 1209 00:51:21,340 --> 00:51:24,000 we talked about we have concessions and 1210 00:51:24,010 --> 00:51:26,177 we we actually got a resolution behind 1211 00:51:26,177 --> 00:51:28,440 that . So how he felt and he always 1212 00:51:28,440 --> 00:51:30,440 could come talk to me , my door was 1213 00:51:30,440 --> 00:51:33,620 always open . But again , um tough 1214 00:51:33,620 --> 00:51:36,840 conversations wow , but you gotta be 1215 00:51:36,840 --> 00:51:39,050 willing to have and you gotta be 1216 00:51:39,050 --> 00:51:41,106 willing to sometimes when they point 1217 00:51:41,106 --> 00:51:44,380 out truck unconscious biases towards 1218 00:51:44,390 --> 00:51:46,501 the other race , you have to actually 1219 00:51:46,501 --> 00:51:48,501 listen and understand where they're 1220 00:51:48,501 --> 00:51:51,980 coming from . Thank 1221 00:51:51,980 --> 00:51:54,140 you , this will be the last question 1222 00:51:54,150 --> 00:51:56,930 and then we'll wrap it up . When do you 1223 00:51:56,930 --> 00:51:58,763 know when you're ready to mentor 1224 00:51:58,763 --> 00:52:02,750 someone ? Let 1225 00:52:02,750 --> 00:52:05,010 me start with that one . When you read 1226 00:52:05,010 --> 00:52:07,680 the mentor someone I I feel 1227 00:52:09,950 --> 00:52:12,610 when you accomplish something um I feel 1228 00:52:12,620 --> 00:52:16,070 um when I was , when someone may blow 1229 00:52:16,070 --> 00:52:18,870 the zone um they accomplished something . 1230 00:52:18,880 --> 00:52:21,047 Hey how how did he make blow his own , 1231 00:52:21,047 --> 00:52:23,890 what did you do to do it when you make 1232 00:52:23,890 --> 00:52:26,910 different ranks , um your study , your 1233 00:52:26,910 --> 00:52:30,100 preparation , um how did you cross over 1234 00:52:30,100 --> 00:52:32,500 from a list of the DEA officer when you , 1235 00:52:32,510 --> 00:52:36,140 when you accomplish the task uh task or 1236 00:52:36,140 --> 00:52:38,410 education wise you got an undergraduate 1237 00:52:38,410 --> 00:52:40,466 degree , you got a Master's degree , 1238 00:52:40,466 --> 00:52:42,688 you got a doctor's degree , how did you 1239 00:52:42,688 --> 00:52:45,390 get that ? Um any kind of licensing , 1240 00:52:46,750 --> 00:52:48,750 that's when I when you get to those 1241 00:52:48,750 --> 00:52:50,820 positions , I feel like you become a 1242 00:52:50,820 --> 00:52:52,876 mentor and you can help out the next 1243 00:52:52,876 --> 00:52:55,042 generation or the person coming behind 1244 00:52:55,042 --> 00:52:58,620 you to help them accomplish it . Um I 1245 00:52:58,620 --> 00:53:02,410 know just by even doing this , uh I 1246 00:53:02,410 --> 00:53:04,820 have several people , I have a PMP I 1247 00:53:04,820 --> 00:53:07,060 have several people hit me up say , hey 1248 00:53:07,070 --> 00:53:09,292 SAm trammell , I see your bio , how did 1249 00:53:09,292 --> 00:53:13,080 you get a PMP , tell them exactly how 1250 00:53:13,080 --> 00:53:15,700 to get um so when you accomplish your 1251 00:53:15,700 --> 00:53:19,510 tasks or I believe you are 1252 00:53:19,510 --> 00:53:22,510 in a mentor , so and so you can at 1253 00:53:22,510 --> 00:53:24,566 least cut outs on the fluff from the 1254 00:53:24,566 --> 00:53:26,700 next person or help them achieve that 1255 00:53:26,700 --> 00:53:30,670 goal . Thank you . Colonel carol or Mr 1256 00:53:30,670 --> 00:53:32,781 thomas , might you have any words for 1257 00:53:32,781 --> 00:53:36,420 that ? I agree with Sergeant 1258 00:53:36,420 --> 00:53:39,350 Trammell as far as um you know , as you 1259 00:53:39,350 --> 00:53:41,830 accomplish things and really uh to 1260 00:53:41,830 --> 00:53:43,941 remove some of the barriers that that 1261 00:53:43,941 --> 00:53:46,970 you encountered to help that minty make 1262 00:53:46,970 --> 00:53:49,081 the road a little smoother for them . 1263 00:53:49,081 --> 00:53:51,137 And so uh just sitting down saying , 1264 00:53:51,137 --> 00:53:53,081 hey , this is what I experienced , 1265 00:53:53,081 --> 00:53:55,359 albeit it's a different time and place , 1266 00:53:55,359 --> 00:53:57,248 but let me share with you any any 1267 00:53:57,248 --> 00:53:59,470 wisdom that I can to help you with your 1268 00:53:59,470 --> 00:54:01,260 roadmap as you go forward , 1269 00:54:05,440 --> 00:54:07,551 Mr thomas over to you . I think we're 1270 00:54:07,551 --> 00:54:09,607 almost out of time , So , and that's 1271 00:54:09,607 --> 00:54:11,607 perfect because those are two great 1272 00:54:11,607 --> 00:54:13,940 answers and I have nothing to add copy . 1273 00:54:13,950 --> 00:54:15,950 Thank you , thank you all so much . 1274 00:54:15,950 --> 00:54:17,894 Might you have any closing words ? 1275 00:54:17,894 --> 00:54:21,450 Anyone starting with Mr thomas . First 1276 00:54:21,450 --> 00:54:23,450 of all , I'd like to pull two words 1277 00:54:23,450 --> 00:54:25,617 that I heard today , One from Sergeant 1278 00:54:25,617 --> 00:54:27,783 Tremolo , one from Colonel Carol . The 1279 00:54:27,783 --> 00:54:29,783 word I heard from Sonya trammel was 1280 00:54:29,783 --> 00:54:32,260 loved . If you're going to be a true 1281 00:54:32,260 --> 00:54:34,427 mentor , you've got to love people and 1282 00:54:34,427 --> 00:54:36,820 you gotta love helping people to get to 1283 00:54:36,820 --> 00:54:40,300 where they want to get the word from . 1284 00:54:40,310 --> 00:54:42,630 Colonel Carol was listening . You 1285 00:54:42,630 --> 00:54:45,570 really got to understand the goals and 1286 00:54:45,570 --> 00:54:47,570 aspirations of the folks who you're 1287 00:54:47,570 --> 00:54:49,626 working with , You got to understand 1288 00:54:49,626 --> 00:54:51,792 your challenges and so the best way to 1289 00:54:51,792 --> 00:54:53,737 do that is to listen , be sure you 1290 00:54:53,737 --> 00:54:55,959 understand what they're going through . 1291 00:54:55,959 --> 00:54:58,630 Uh and I want to urge mentees first of 1292 00:54:58,630 --> 00:55:01,620 all , don't limit who you look to for 1293 00:55:01,620 --> 00:55:03,960 mentors , anyone who's been , where you 1294 00:55:03,960 --> 00:55:06,670 wanna go , who has what you want to 1295 00:55:06,670 --> 00:55:09,720 acquire . Talk to them , ask the 1296 00:55:09,720 --> 00:55:11,980 question , I'm living proof that in 1297 00:55:11,980 --> 00:55:14,600 more cases than not they will say yes 1298 00:55:14,610 --> 00:55:16,666 and they will reach out and and help 1299 00:55:16,666 --> 00:55:20,370 you two mentors , culturally 1300 00:55:20,370 --> 00:55:24,160 diverse mentors . None 1301 00:55:24,540 --> 00:55:28,170 um diverse , so to speak 1302 00:55:28,170 --> 00:55:32,070 mentors . Um the Air Force needs 1303 00:55:32,070 --> 00:55:35,640 help and growing our leaders both are 1304 00:55:35,640 --> 00:55:37,970 technical and our managerial leaders . 1305 00:55:38,440 --> 00:55:42,300 We need your help . I need your help 1306 00:55:42,300 --> 00:55:46,030 to reach out , be proactive , reach out 1307 00:55:46,040 --> 00:55:48,290 and help this diverse workforce that we 1308 00:55:48,290 --> 00:55:52,170 have to fully develop . So we have a 1309 00:55:52,180 --> 00:55:54,240 an awesome bench to pull from when 1310 00:55:54,240 --> 00:55:57,750 we're looking for leaders and one more 1311 00:55:57,750 --> 00:56:00,670 shout out to the diversity program at A 1312 00:56:00,670 --> 00:56:02,781 FMc and our Air Force for allowing us 1313 00:56:02,781 --> 00:56:04,837 to be able to have this kind of open 1314 00:56:04,837 --> 00:56:06,837 discussion as broadly as we have in 1315 00:56:06,837 --> 00:56:09,090 this discussion and be open and honest 1316 00:56:09,100 --> 00:56:12,690 and talk about how we can help , as I 1317 00:56:12,690 --> 00:56:15,410 said before , he'll our organization , 1318 00:56:15,410 --> 00:56:17,577 how we can help grow the Air force and 1319 00:56:17,577 --> 00:56:19,410 ensure that we maintain the most 1320 00:56:19,410 --> 00:56:21,521 powerful Air force in the world so we 1321 00:56:21,521 --> 00:56:23,577 can continue to protect these rights 1322 00:56:23,577 --> 00:56:25,577 that we experience every day over . 1323 00:56:25,577 --> 00:56:27,577 Thank you Mr thomas Colonel carol , 1324 00:56:29,330 --> 00:56:31,610 wow . So I know we're out of time , but 1325 00:56:31,620 --> 00:56:34,970 uh I I often I lead and 1326 00:56:34,980 --> 00:56:37,430 mentor with three L's and it's listen 1327 00:56:37,440 --> 00:56:38,540 learn and lead 1328 00:56:43,130 --> 00:56:45,850 and that . It's really how I feel . 1329 00:56:47,630 --> 00:56:51,380 Thank you and to wait on find too many 1330 00:56:51,380 --> 00:56:54,070 finds to invest in today because our 1331 00:56:54,080 --> 00:56:56,247 Air force needs you , our nation needs 1332 00:56:56,247 --> 00:56:58,469 you and thank you for allowing me to be 1333 00:56:58,469 --> 00:57:00,413 a part of this panel . Thank you . 1334 00:57:00,413 --> 00:57:02,691 Colonel carol Master Sergeant Trammell , 1335 00:57:03,630 --> 00:57:05,797 sorry about that . How did you have to 1336 00:57:05,797 --> 00:57:09,100 get the the mute button ? But um like 1337 00:57:09,100 --> 00:57:13,000 everyone else I have also um I'm very 1338 00:57:13,000 --> 00:57:15,222 thankful for being honest . Thank U for 1339 00:57:15,222 --> 00:57:17,444 Mr thomas invited me the opportunity to 1340 00:57:17,444 --> 00:57:19,500 evening speak today . Um but I would 1341 00:57:19,500 --> 00:57:21,740 like to just tell everybody just to be 1342 00:57:21,740 --> 00:57:24,160 competent , be curious , be creative 1343 00:57:24,630 --> 00:57:26,850 and be consistent when you be a mentor 1344 00:57:27,330 --> 00:57:30,540 ah leading all that . Um 1345 00:57:31,730 --> 00:57:34,063 you can help somebody be more confident . 1346 00:57:34,830 --> 00:57:37,470 I always buys my troops or people 1347 00:57:37,470 --> 00:57:39,637 around me and my civilian counterparts 1348 00:57:39,637 --> 00:57:42,340 were underneath me to be curious , ask 1349 00:57:42,340 --> 00:57:45,640 questions and then be creative . The 1350 00:57:45,640 --> 00:57:47,751 Air force is looking for new creative 1351 00:57:47,751 --> 00:57:51,720 ways to do things . Um I hate the same 1352 00:57:51,720 --> 00:57:55,040 and we always do it like this and 1353 00:57:56,030 --> 00:57:58,330 just just lean into the next generation 1354 00:57:58,330 --> 00:58:00,860 just to be more creative . We need more 1355 00:58:00,870 --> 00:58:03,710 events like this because this is a 1356 00:58:03,710 --> 00:58:06,050 creative ways for everyone to get 1357 00:58:06,050 --> 00:58:09,650 together and to be on a zoom call . Um 1358 00:58:10,520 --> 00:58:12,910 and next is just to be consistent . 1359 00:58:12,920 --> 00:58:15,087 Don't let this be the last time we had 1360 00:58:15,087 --> 00:58:18,250 these conversations . Um we should be 1361 00:58:18,250 --> 00:58:20,417 having something like this . Hopefully 1362 00:58:20,417 --> 00:58:24,090 monthly , Quarterly at least . Um so we 1363 00:58:24,090 --> 00:58:26,257 can continue the conversation . I know 1364 00:58:26,257 --> 00:58:28,423 a lot of people probably have a lot of 1365 00:58:28,423 --> 00:58:30,257 questions as you were saying the 1366 00:58:30,257 --> 00:58:32,479 Monterey that it was kind of blowing up 1367 00:58:32,479 --> 00:58:36,360 on you . Um but I'm just 1368 00:58:36,370 --> 00:58:39,470 thankful for being out here um thankful 1369 00:58:39,470 --> 00:58:42,460 again and I just want rambling . Thank 1370 00:58:42,460 --> 00:58:44,682 you . Mr Thank you . Cut me off . Thank 1371 00:58:44,682 --> 00:58:46,904 you . I think my new call sign is going 1372 00:58:46,904 --> 00:58:49,016 to be the moderator . That's what I'm 1373 00:58:49,016 --> 00:58:51,016 going with . Um In closing we would 1374 00:58:51,016 --> 00:58:53,071 like to thank all the members of the 1375 00:58:53,071 --> 00:58:55,293 panel for their participation today and 1376 00:58:55,293 --> 00:58:57,182 A . F . M . C . And the Air Force 1377 00:58:57,182 --> 00:58:59,293 sustainment Center public Affairs who 1378 00:58:59,293 --> 00:59:01,238 have assisted in making this first 1379 00:59:01,238 --> 00:59:03,404 diverse cross cultural mentoring panel 1380 00:59:03,404 --> 00:59:05,404 possible . In addition we encourage 1381 00:59:05,404 --> 00:59:07,182 everyone to go to my vector and 1382 00:59:07,182 --> 00:59:09,404 register to become a mentor or mentee . 1383 00:59:09,404 --> 00:59:11,630 Lastly , please complete the short 1384 00:59:11,640 --> 00:59:13,920 online assessment . The link addresses 1385 00:59:13,920 --> 00:59:15,920 listed on the closing slide and has 1386 00:59:15,920 --> 00:59:18,260 also been posted in the Chat . We want 1387 00:59:18,260 --> 00:59:20,650 to hear your thoughts and um about this 1388 00:59:20,650 --> 00:59:22,950 event . It will help us improve our 1389 00:59:22,950 --> 00:59:25,061 women's history month panel scheduled 1390 00:59:25,061 --> 00:59:27,283 for March 30 as well as future events . 1391 00:59:27,283 --> 00:59:29,117 We do have the remainder of your 1392 00:59:29,117 --> 00:59:31,228 questions . We might be able to email 1393 00:59:31,228 --> 00:59:33,339 them out to our panel members and get 1394 00:59:33,339 --> 00:59:35,672 them out to you . We make no guarantees . 1395 00:59:35,672 --> 00:59:35,550 We hope to see you again in the future 1396 00:59:35,550 --> 00:59:37,650 for the rest of this cross cultural 1397 00:59:37,660 --> 00:59:40,150 mentoring series . Thank you so much . 1398 00:59:40,720 --> 00:59:43,630 This is the end of our our session . Um 1399 00:59:43,630 --> 00:59:45,797 the panel members will probably , uh , 1400 00:59:46,420 --> 00:59:48,642 get off . I'm going to get I'm just put 1401 00:59:48,642 --> 00:59:50,642 my screen off , but the rest of you 1402 00:59:50,642 --> 00:59:52,642 have a wonderful rest of your day . 1403 00:59:57,820 --> 01:00:01,800 Bye . Thank you . Thank you 1404 01:00:01,800 --> 01:00:05,290 so much , ma'am . Thank you so much . 1405 01:00:05,290 --> 01:00:07,068 Mr , thomas and Master Sergeant 1406 01:00:07,068 --> 01:00:10,450 Trammell . No problem . Thank you .