Restoring resiliency

  • Published
  • By Staff Report
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  
After the 2009 Fort Hood, Texas incident in which13 people were killed and 29 others injured by a lone gunman, the Air Force reviewed its resilience and readiness programs.

In response to their findings, the Secretary of the Air Force, in coordination with the Chief of Staff and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, created a Community Support Coordinator position at 71 installations across the Air Force. This individual helps Airmen and their families withstand stress and surmount adversity, thereby restoring resiliency.

The Air Force Resiliency Program operationalizes four pillars - mental, physical, social and spiritual - that together uphold the Comprehensive Airmen Fitness Program.

Edward Cole, the new CSC for RAF Lakenheath says his job is necessary to build locally on the foundation of the Air Force's Comprehensive Airmen Fitness Program and to ensure opportunity and resources are available for all personnel to obtain their maximum potential within each of the four pillars. "I want to ensure we centralize and provide information, resources, and skills to our Airmen both military and civilian. This will build and sustain a thriving and resilient community that fosters mental, physical, social and spiritual fitness."

Although the primary duties of the CSC include serving as the executive director of the installation Community Action Information Board and chair of the Integrated Delivery System, Cole's real focus is on all things resilience. He will be engaging military and civilians at all squadrons and agencies.

The objective of the CAIB is to identify a positive way of life while enhancing the ability to function as a productive Air Force member and resolve issues impacting the readiness of Air Force members, civilians and their families. Wing commanders chair the CAIB and consider trends ranging from alcohol and drug use to child abuse and suicide.

The IDS is the CAIB's working group where these complex and challenging problems are tackled.

Together the IDS and CAIB employ a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to resolve resiliency issues and restore readiness.

As part of Comprehensive Airman Fitness Program efforts, each installation will send individuals to Master Resilience Training at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. Once qualified, members of this team will in-turn train Resilience Training Assistants from each unit on base. This train-the-trainer effort expands expertise across the entire wing. Presently, the Liberty Wing has two qualified Master Resiliency Instructors and two more centrally-funded personnel identified to attend the course soon. Along with Cole, the instructors have already begun resiliency training and initiatives at the wing and unit levels.

Resiliency briefings are also being conducted at the First Term Airmen Center course, teaching Airmen the importance of setting goals and accomplishing them and how to be an objective thinker. Physical resilience is a major talking point and covers fitness, nutrition, strength and recovery.

For more information, or for any questions about restoring resiliency, contact Edward Cole at 226-1196 or by email at edward.cole@us.af.mil.