New training offers a fresh perspective

Photo By Master Sgt. Christopher Milbrodt | Army Sgt. Joel Smith and Pvt. First Class Kristie Downes, both medics with the 256th Area Medical Support Company, participate in the practical evaluation portion of a performance enhancement class March 5, 2017 at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center. The training is designed to help Soldiers calm their mind and focus on the task at hand while impacted by stress.  

STARKE, FL, UNITED STATES

03.05.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Christopher Milbrodt 

107th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Starke, Fla. – Soldiers from the 256th Area Support Medical Company based at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center were treated to a new style of training available to National Guard units during their drill weekend March 4 and 5, 2017.
Performance experts from the Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness Program (CSF2) arrived from active duty installations as far away as Joint Base Lewis-McChord to offer a training package designed to enhance a Soldier’s outlook on vital tasks they are expected to perform under stressful situations.
“Our training is customized and tailored to what you need. It isn’t about OK, you’re struggling with this, here’s a solution and answer,” said Noelle Menendez, a Master Resilience Trainer and Performance Expert from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA. “We offer a skill set that no matter what, you can use regardless of where you are, because you can always get better.”
Soldiers were taught new skills and strategies that help them recognize when things go a little awry, and focus their thoughts by using competencies that help them get back on track to perform at a higher level. Instructors reinforced the new skills first through classroom instruction and followed by a practical evaluation complete with stress inducing exercises and fine motor-skill tasks.
“The value in outside experts is they have so much more clarity about the subject than we would if we read a Power Point,” said Sgt. Joel Smith, a medic with the 256th ASMC. “These are people who have studied it, they know what they’re doing and in turn allow us to gain the most from the training.”
Performance enhancement training is paired under the CSF2 with resilience skills. The team is staffed by civilian instructors, who have degrees in performance or sports psychology and are certified as level-three master resilience trainers.
“The cornerstones of our curriculum are the mental skills foundation, the idea that our thoughts impact our performance. As well as energy management and attention control and imagery,” said Susan Goodman, a Master Resilience Trainer and Performance Expert from Ft. Bragg, NC. “Our program decided a few years ago that we needed to form a team that specifically concentrated on the National Guard.”
According to Goodman, training centers are located around the world and are available for residency training, but training teams are ready to travel to any unit requesting the unique experience her team can offer.
“I personally enjoyed the training because I like to think about how our brains function and how we get from step-to-step, then execute,” said Smith. “I would definitely encourage future training provided by performance experts and I think every Soldier would benefit from it.”

• Date Taken: 03.05.2017
• Date Posted: 03.05.2017 14:45
• Story ID: 225716
• Location: STARKE, FL, US