Photo By Kathryn Calvert | Airman 1st Class Logan Warren and Airman 1st Class Christopher Baker, 50th Operations...... read more read more
The 50th Space Wing held its biannual Wingman Day at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, Nov. 9.
Wingman Day is designed to boost Airmen resiliency through a variety of courses and activities.
Col. Jennifer Grant, 50th SW commander, began the opening ceremony with the question, “Are you guys ready to unleash your superpower?”
“We have an amazing day with a course selection that I think will satisfy everybody in this room,” Grant said. "This day is designed to give us a break so that we are ready to provide for our people and our team.”
“We preach a one team concept,” Grant continued. “That means everybody at this installation. We’re wingmen, we’re warriors and we take care of each other. If we’re not taking care of each other, how are we going to provide for the mission?”
Grant explained morale-boosting events like Wingman Day and monthly First Friday events give Airmen the opportunity to recharge their batteries.
“Everybody needs a day of rest, everybody needs a respite,” she said.
Grant also emphasized the need to check on Airmen who were unable to attend Wingman Day due to job requirements, which ties back into the 50th SW priority, “Take care of our Airmen and families always.”
“It is really important for us to make sure that we are maintaining our resiliency, and resiliency takes a lot of different forms,” she said. “At the basis of it is the ability to bounce back, regain your form and function.”
Grant emphasized the importance for Airmen to take advantage of days like Wingman Day.
“This gives everyone time to unwind and then do what it is we’re called to do when were called to do it and to have the energy to do those things,” she said.
Col. Jacob Middleton, 50th SW vice commander, then spoke to Airmen, telling stories of his childhood and the hardships he faced.
“We grew up so poor that I would go to school to eat,” he said.
Middleton spoke about his struggles as an Airman at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where he learned to lean on others.
“Being resilient in something is learning how to keep moving forward and pressing forward when things aren’t going your way,” he said. “You can be more resilient than what you were born into.”
Middleton echoed Grant’s sentiment about taking care of fellow wingmen.
“Look out for the folks that are around you,” he said. “Everybody is watching and you never know who you’re going to help.”
Middleton ended the ceremony with key takeaways Airmen should carry with them:
•We all experience hardships
•Resiliency is different for every person
•Connection to people is important
•Everyone has value simply because they exist
•The question is not do you have value but what is your value
•Take care of each other
“Take this time to relax and unwind,” he concluded.
The morning continued with classes for Airmen, including The Power of Nutrition, The Power of the Brain, How to Meal Prep and Hungry Hungry Hippos among many others.
The Power of the Nutrition addressed topics like eating before, during and after workouts, and how to recover from workouts properly.
“I love teaching about nutrition and that is one of the main reasons I got my degree in it,” said Carol Carr, Schriever AFB health promotions coordinator. “I thought the topic was relevant because Airmen have fitness standards to maintain. I want them to fuel appropriately to get the best performance out of their workout.”
Carr’s favorite part about teaching the class was being able to help others improve their health through nutrition.
“I hope Airmen have increased awareness and knowledge about how what they eat affects many aspects of their lives, or in this case fitness performance,” she said.
The last half of the day was dedicated to unit resiliency time, giving Airmen a break from the office to participate in team building activities like bowling to further strengthen morale and resiliency.
For more information about the next Wingman Day, contact Jess Schroeder, 50th SW community support coordinator, at 567-5726.
| Date Taken: | 11.14.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 11.15.2018 09:54 |
| Story ID: | 300082 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 38 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Wingman Day: Unleash your superpower, by Halle Thornton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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