BIDDLE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Pa. -- The 111th Attack Wing celebrated “Mentorship May” with a Wing-wide mentorship event on May 7, 2023, during its regularly scheduled drill at Biddle Air National Guard Base in Horsham, Pennsylvania.
The purpose of the event was to serve as a launch point for a more formal mentoring program at the Wing, and focused on the four Rs: Resolve, Resiliency, Relationships and Readiness. The event was held in a round-robin fashion at four different locations for the command’s Rising Six (junior enlisted), the Top Three (senior enlisted), Company Grade Officers and Field Grade Officers.
“I’m excited that we were able to finally launch our formal mentorship program during our May drill where we provided mentorship training and discussions for all our members,” said Col. Deane E. Thomey, 111th ATKW Commander. “We want to formalize our mentorship program, and this is the first of many mentorship events to share our experiences together and discuss where we want to go with the 111th Attack Wing mentorship program.”
Key members of the 111th leadership team led four presentations under the “4R” theme. Maj. Tony Repic, 111th Attack Wing Chaplain, led the Resolve discussion, Col. Thomey and his Vice Commander, Col. Rebecca Gray, led the Resiliency discussion; and Lt. Col. Kevin Dellicker, 111th Operations Support Squadron Commander, and his wife Susan, led the Relationships discussion.
Tech. Sgt. Stephen J. Kendrick Jr., who is assigned to the 111th Comptroller Flight, said he appreciated the event because it gave him an opportunity to gather with his fellow Airmen and hear from senior leaders at the state and Wing level in person.
“Because I am still fairly new to this unit, this was an opportunity for me to see everyone in one place,” said Kendrick. “Also, I appreciate the fact that Col. Thomey shared his story with us.”
Special guests for the event from Joint Force Headquarters at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania included Brig. Gen. Mike Regan, the Deputy Adjutant General-Air and Commander of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard; and Command Chief Paul Frisco, PAANG Command Chief, who led the discussion on Readiness.
"It was a privilege to participate in this kick-off event for the 111th Attack Wing's formal mentorship program," said Brig. Gen. Michael J. Regan, the Deputy Adjutant General-Air for Pennsylvania and Commander of the Pa. Air National Guard. "Mentors encourage and enable another person's professional or personal development, Airmen appreciate workplaces that encourage development, and I applaud the 111th for bringing focus to the value of mentoring for Airmen growth."