FORT CARSON, Colo. (July 6, 2018) – Two dozen Soldiers and family members from the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade hiked up the Manitou Springs Incline in the early hours of June 29 to promote mental health.
The incline, which gains 2,000 feet in less than a mile, is famous for its steep grade, which many residents of the Colorado Springs area use to test their aerobic fitness or train for personal bests.
Maj. Adam T. Bennett, the 4th CAB’s brigade chaplain, organized the hike – a first for the brigade – to create synergy between physical fitness and mental health, he said.
“I wanted to do this event because I think exercise is the number one mitigating factor for depression and suicidal thoughts,” Bennett said.
Commanders often focus on physical readiness and forget that there is also a spiritual and emotional aspect to Soldiers, he said.
Units can certainly benefit by focusing on mental health, Bennett said. In such an environment, Soldiers take care of themselves spiritually, emotionally and physically, and open up to those around them, letting those who might be struggling know that they are OK.
“Leaders have to be honest and vulnerable and admit when they are struggling, when they are not as healthy as they could be, because a private sometimes struggles with the exact same thing,” Bennett said.
Soldiers should have confidence that talking about mental illness will not affect their careers, he said. Further, they should know that there are there are multiple resources available to them if they are in need.
“We want to hear your issues because if you don’t talk about, it’s going to come out,” said Maj. Steven B. Templeton, the 4th CAB’s rear detachment commander. “And it’s going to come out in ways that are not always healthy.”
Family members are in the same circumstances as their Soldiers because they all are faced with unexpected challenges, he said.
By doing rigorous activities together, members of the 4th CAB family created a bond that will endure and help them care for one another in times of need.
“This is just the beginning,” said Templeton, who is already planning for similar events.
| Date Taken: | 07.06.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 07.10.2018 14:14 |
| Story ID: | 283706 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 4th CAB Soldiers, families hike for mental health, by 1st Lt. Daphney Black, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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