As the operational tempo picks up speed and deployments increase across the Air Force, so does the risk of Airmen feeling overwhelmed by life’s stressors.
Recently, the staff of the Integrated Resilience Office hosted a Resilience Team Showcase to highlight the various approaches that Master Resilience Trainers (MRTs) and Resilience Training Assistants (RTAs) are taking to maintain Comprehensive Airman Fitness at their squadrons, encompassing physical, mental, social and spiritual health.
MRTs and RTAs are certified military or civilian professionals trained to teach skills that boost psychological health, resilience and performance. They tailor their plans to the specific needs of their squadrons, often with great success.
The IR office trains and certifies between 80 and 100 RTAs each year from units across the 436th Airlift Wing, the 512th AW and all mission partners at Dover AFB. A select few RTAs move on to become MRTs; the certification, knowledge and skills stay with them as they move to other units or bases.
The showcase aimed to bring in members of Team Dover from across the base to meet their squadron MRTs and RTAs, and to promote dialogue among the resiliency teams of different squadrons.
“A lot of the time, people only know what’s going on in their own squadron,” said Brianna Rogerson, Integrated Resilience Office prevention coordinator. “This event offers a small window into the creative, outside-the-box activities that MRTs are conducting all around the base.”
The event featured representatives from 15 different squadrons across Dover AFB. Each unit set up booths in a science-fair-like environment to hand out informational materials and gifts or to engage visitors in conversations about resilience. The event also featured three Shift Wave meditation chairs and a reformer Pilates machine. The event saw close to 100 visitors from across Dover AFB, including the 436th AW and 512th AW command teams.
“I can sum up the importance of events like this in one word: community. Our priorities are Airmen, Mission and Community,” said Col. Jamil Musa, 436th Airlift Wing commander. “Having events like this where people can connect on a human level is a recipe for success.”
For more information on becoming an RTA, call the Integrated Resilience Office at: 302-677-6551