FORT STEWART, Ga. – We can’t predict a bad situation, but being resilient and ready can make a difference on how we can overcome it.
Soldiers of 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, conducted resiliency training from April 20 to May 7, 2015, on Fort Stewart, Ga., in order to enhance their abilities to handle multiple situations they may encounter.
Each battalion of the “Vanguard” Brigade provided a weeklong venue for every soldier across the formation, regardless of rank, to promote and enhance their emotional, physical, financial and mental well-being.
The first day was comprised of required training, which included suicide prevention and assistance, threat awareness response and prevention, sexual harassment and rape prevention, and terrorism awareness training.
“So many situations happen in the Army, to each person, every day,” said Spc. Kenneth Boyle, an air defense battle management systems operator with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th IBCT. “If we’re not resilient, how would we be able to handle anything?”
The week continued with bystander intervention training, which helps soldiers to better understand what to do when they find themselves in a position to intervene and help someone who is in a difficult situation. The classes explored many scenarios and different attitudes among the participants, which sparked discussions on how to identify an emergency and the ways to help.
“I took away a lot from the training,” said Boyle. “When I do have soldiers of my own, I want to inform them and make them aware of their role as a bystander. Everybody has a purpose in a negative situation. You can try to make it better, or do nothing and make it worse.”
Soldiers then had the opportunity to bring their spouses and learn about a wide variety of topics to enhance their quality of life during a life skills expo. The courses were designed for single and married soldiers, which covered finance, relationships and health care, with courses like “house buying 101,” and “how to avoid falling in love with a jerk.”
The end of each resiliency week consisted of safety and standards related activities, such as a health and welfare inspection, where soldiers’ quarters were inspected to ensure they were being provided a satisfactory standard of living and vehicle inspections to ensure soldiers’ safety.
Additionally, 4-3 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th IBCT, conducted a motorcycle safety stand down, where all of the battalion’s motorcycle riders attended a rider’s safety brief and went on a “check ride” where they learned about riding safely with others.
“Since I’ve been in the Army, I’ve seen a big increase in soldier accidents on motorcycles, and a lot of it has to do with riders speeding, not knowing how to go into curves, or basically not riding within your capabilities,” said Sgt. 1st Class George Dixon, 4th IBCT’s motorcycle mentor. “Something I always tell new riders is ‘ride your ride,’ because only you know what you can do. You get in trouble when you try to ride another person’s ride, because everybody has different capabilities.”
After a busy start to the year with a brigade-level field training exercise and preparing for a scheduled rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana, the soldiers of 4th IBCT are ensuring they are resilient and ready to accomplish any mission, whether in the Army or in life.