Photo By Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Tarr | Spc. Demecio Gonzales, an armor crewman assigned to 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor...... read more read more
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FORT RILEY, Kansas — About 40 Soldiers assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, conducted a three-day course known as the Devil Value of ONE Program that equipped Soldiers with valuable skills that taught them to overcome adversity, build resiliency and focus on self identity May 15-17 on Fort Riley.
“Last year the brigade began to increase its focus on ways to educate and counsel Soldiers on the value of life,” said 2nd Lt. Shaun Bell, assistant operations officer for 1st ABCT and founder of the program. “With the support of our command and resources voluntarily provided by offices inside and outside the brigade, we came together to create a program to reach out and help Soldiers identify their own values and character. This will enable them to have a platform built on their own understanding of self-value to measure themselves from and hold themselves to a personal standard.”
In an effort to make each Soldier more comfortable and to keep the focus of the Soldiers in the program on the individual next to them and not titles and rank, the Soldiers wore their physical fitness uniforms. Being equal to those around them encouraged them to participate in discussions about personal struggles and speak frankly.
“We came in our physical fitness uniforms and we weren’t focused on where each person stood in the formation,” he said. “You’re just another Soldier and we can lean on each other for support was the message we were trying to send.”
Each Soldier was given a booklet that provides resources and references, and guides them through discussions and each day’s events. The first day of the program, known as Value Day, focused on a mixture of classes, practical exercises, small and large group discussions that addressed leadership attributes, competencies, character, values, self identity and the value of life.
On the second day, Volunteer Day, the Soldiers traveled to Colmery-O’Neil VA Medical Center in Topeka, Kansas, to participate in the eighth annual Walk and Roll VA 2K. During the event, the Soldiers helped wheelchair-bound veterans around a two- kilometer route and helped organize food donations.
“We wanted to do something that was going to put our Soldiers in contact with other people to help them experience something good and make them feel good about themselves,” Bell said. “We wanted them to see that they do make a difference and that they hold value to not only their team and family but also to the community.”
To close out their resiliency training, the Soldiers spent the morning of the third day, Sports Day, playing bubble soccer provided by the Warrior Adventure Quest to help with team building, stress relief and morale. Afterwards, the Army Wellness Center and brigade physical therapist taught the Soldiers how to combat stress and build resiliency using nutrition, rest and mental imaging.
Pfc. Jordan Durland, a cannon crewmember assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, 1st ABCT, attended the course and found the information to be valuable and plans on using it in the future to help out his battle buddies.
“I’ve gained a lot of perspective in this class and it has given me tools to help my friends if they were struggling,” Durland said. “I don’t think I could solve their problems but I can point them in the right direction to receive help.”
At the end of each iteration, the joint team of noncommissioned officers and officers conducts an after-action review to see how they can improve the program. The goal is to eventually have each Soldier successfully trained in the program.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.30.2018 12:21 |
| Story ID: | 278821 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY , KS, US |
| Web Views: | 247 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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