The mentorship program aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) is one of several resources junior Sailors are encouraged to take advantage of. The Navy-wide program has been in place aboard Truman for almost three years, involves every department, and is spearheaded by experienced senior enlisted Sailors who serve as its mentorship coordinators.
“The program, in general, requires a lot of involvement for the entire chain of command,” said Chief Personnel Specialist Kiana Edwards, Truman’s mentorship program’s coordinator. “Division officers, department heads, and mentorship coordinators all play a role in ensuring the program is successful.”
The Navy established its mentorship program to provide Sailors with guidance from successful role models in the command. To heed the Navy’s program, Truman’s program provides all E-6 and junior Sailors with a mentor. Mentors share knowledge and experience with their protégés to help develop them into well-rounded Sailors.
Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Brent Pyfrom, the assistant command coordinator for Truman’s mentorship program, explained how Sailors can both become and select a mentor. On Truman, only Sailors E-5 and senior who display significant personal growth can qualify to serve as mentors.
According to Pyfrom, Sailors are encouraged to seek a mentor no more than two pay grades above their own.
“Identify a Sailor who is like-minded and aligned with your career goals, then ask if they would be willing to serve as your mentor. Afterward, notify your departmental mentorship coordinator so the information can be entered into the tracker.”
Additionally, Sailors can find mentors within or outside of their departments, and even senior Sailors and officers are encouraged to find mentors of their own. To maintain a healthy relationship between mentors and their junior Sailors, transparency is the best practice to implement.
“The biggest thing for mentorship is being honest with your mentor,” said Edwards. “Once you build that trust, you truly don’t want to break it. That’s the biggest issue I’ve seen happen.”
In addition to maintaining trust, tracking mentorship hours remains one of the program’s primary challenges. According to Edwards, many Sailors meet regularly with their mentors, but forget to record their hours. Program coordinators are working to improve accountability and ensure those meetings are properly documented. As the mentorship program continues to evolve, Edwards and other leaders look to prioritize the personal development of Truman Sailors.
“I want everyone to be a well-rounded Sailor and have someone to reach out to,” said Edwards. “Especially now with the ship going to the yards, we want to make sure everyone is supported not only professionally in their daily work life, but also personally.”
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