Photo By Spc. Jude Vogel | John Arroyo, the president and founder of A Life Transformed, speaks about resilience...... read more read more
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FORT STEWART, Ga. – U.S. Army Soldiers with the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team (2nd ABCT), 3rd Infantry Division (3rd ID), attended a resilience training event at Fort Stewart, featuring guest speaker John Arroyo, in response to the recent shooting that wounded five Soldiers. Arroyo, a retired U.S. Army Green Beret and survivor of a mass shooting, delivered a powerful message to help Soldiers strengthen their mental, emotional and spiritual readiness.
The event was designed to address challenges unique to today’s force, providing Soldiers with practical tools to overcome adversity and maintain mission focus.
Arroyo led Soldiers through lessons aimed at identifying their personal sources of resilience–faith, family, or purpose–and encouraged them to slow down in moments of crisis rather than reacting on impulse. He inspired them to face fears and pain head-on and to avoid the trap of isolating themselves when support is needed.
“I share this with everybody because this was my experience,” said Arroyo. “Yes, I have had to deal with an active-shooter event 11 years ago, but I hope all of these Soldiers use these [steps] for their healing so that they don't have to figure all that out.”
Alongside emotional recovery, Fort Stewart is also sharpening its emergency medical capabilities. At the center of that effort is Winn Army Community Hospital, whose team delivered immediate, life-saving care to the injured Soldiers on Aug. 6.
Winn Army Community Hospital staff emphasized that the response to the Aug. 6 shooting was a team effort, with both military and civilian medical professionals working side by side to provide immediate, lifesaving care. Hospital leaders noted that the incident has already prompted action, with Winn now conducting mass casualty training to strengthen readiness for future emergencies. This proactive approach ensures that Soldiers and families can trust their medical community to respond swiftly and effectively, no matter the crisis.
“We are able to perform stabilizing measures to treat any sort of trauma victims with life threatening injuries,” said Maj. Alex Angelidis, the Trauma Program Medical Director at Winn Army Community Hospital. “[Doing so] avoids a scenario in which a patient might deteriorate or potentially die en route to the trauma center, which is about an hour away.”
Winn Army Community Hospital’s ability to provide immediate trauma stabilization is a cornerstone of its emergency preparedness mission. In high-stakes situations like the Aug. 6 shooting, time is critical—and Winn’s trauma team is trained to deliver rapid, life-saving interventions that bridge the gap between incident and higher-level care.
By treating severe injuries on-site, the hospital reduces the risk of patient deterioration during the crucial transport window to Savannah’s Level 1 trauma center. This capability is not only a testament to the skill of Winn’s military and civilian medical professionals, but also highlights the importance of continuous mass casualty and trauma-response training now underway. The hospital’s readiness ensures that when every second counts, Fort Stewart’s Soldiers and families are in the hands of a team equipped to act with precision and urgency.
“We performed the operation very quickly,” said Kerre Benbrooks, a registered nurse for Winn Army Community Hospital. “There was a whole team working simultaneously to make everything happen. We had the personnel available, we had all the equipment available and given to that, we were able to perform all the functions much faster and effectively; the patient outcomes speak to that.”
The resilience event serves as a reminder that the Army’s strength rests not only on combat readiness, but also on the ability of Soldiers to recover, adapt and support one another after tragedy. While leaders at every level stressed the need for vigilance and preparedness, they also emphasized that healing both individually and as a unit is just as critical to sustaining long-term effectiveness. The training underscored that resilience is not only about overcoming adversity, but about maintaining trust, cohesion and confidence within the formation. Army Chaplains were available for Soldiers in need of help.
“We just had all these resources coming at us at one time,” said Lt. Col. Mike Sanford, commander of the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd ABCT, 3rd ID. “It was great to see the community come together and support our Soldiers here at Fort Stewart.”
In addition, an overwhelming number of organizations offered services to the victims and their families. Off-post restaurants provided free meals, and the American Red Cross and United Services Organization (USO) have dedicated countless services in support of the service members affected.
“We received great support from the American Red Cross,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Juan Alvarado, senior enlisted leader of the 703rd BSB, 2nd ABCT, 3rd ID. “They’ve provided anything from snacks to emotional support dogs–which were a big hit–and they’re offered to provide us emotional support dogs once a month where they will come out and do visits.
“The USO practically brought all of their facilities to us at a parking lot. They provided hotdogs, ice cream, a video game trailer, outdoor gear, and other activities. It was a phenomenal time.”
Following the recent incident within 2nd ABCT, brigade leadership placed their immediate focus on ensuring the affected Soldiers received the necessary time and resources for recovery time and healing. With that foundation established, their priority has now shifted to helping Soldiers regain the right mindset to return to training and restore the unit’s overall readiness.
“We got the care and help we need–now we’re going to get back to doing the things we do to support this brigade combat team,” said Sanford. “That’s what we do. The 703rd Brigade Support Battalion is the backbone of this brigade combat team, so we have to be ready, and that’s what we’re focusing on.”
The 3rd Infantry Division is placing renewed focus on the spiritual resilience of Soldiers and their families, aiming to strengthen their sense of purpose and motivation.
The 2nd ABCT chaplain, Chaplain (Maj.) Ryan Wood, emphasized the importance of spiritual readiness, particularly in high-stress situations like active shooter events, where moral clarity is essential. The goal, he said, is to develop Soldiers who can respond swiftly and effectively without compromising their core values. Leaders hope that by addressing life’s difficult questions and providing ongoing support, Soldiers will be better equipped to endure and overcome challenging times both on and off the battlefield.
“Our goal is to see Soldiers and their Families are spiritually Strong,” said Wood. “They have purpose, meaning and motivation for their lives, and we want to have spiritually strong Soldiers who can quickly end active shooter events without doing damage to the soul; we are here to help to put answers to those difficult questions to push through those difficult times.”
“The biggest thing I want my Soldiers to take away from this is the importance of moving forward after bad things are happening,” said Capt. Grady Potts, with the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd ABCT, who attended the event. “I think my Soldiers hearing his perspective of resilience training may be helpful for them to find common ground to build their own foundation or improve the foundation they already have.”
| Date Taken: | 09.05.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.01.2025 14:51 |
| Story ID: | 549832 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 217 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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