CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - With their deployment to Kuwait closing in on its conclusion, soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division prepared to reunite with their family and friends by attending a non-commissioned officer resiliency training event Dec. 8.
The event began at 5:30 a.m. with an esprit de corps run by Rock's Support non-commissioned officers, followed by breakfast and an open floor forum, where non-commissioned officers talked about the safety of their soldiers when they return home.
Army resiliency training offers tools to aid soldiers, leaders and families in their ability to grow and thrive in the face of challenges and bounce back from adversity.
“The goal of this event was to build resiliency amongst our soldiers and the NCO Corps,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Mark A. Aaron, 1-10 FA command sergeant major. “As well as focusing on redeployment concerns and issues that I see inside the battalion so we can minimize those risks for soldiers.”
Rock's Support non-commissioned officers participated in an exercise where they wrote down a situation they personally have dealt with during their deployment and put it in a bucket. The soldiers then each pulled a card out and read what their fellow non-commissioned officer had written.
As each non-commissioned officer read a card, silence filled the room as they learned of the problems their peers had faced or were facing: divorce, missing the birth of their child, financial problems and thoughts of suicide.
“These are real situations we are dealing with,” said Aaron. “My main focus is to educate my NCOs and soldiers, to make sure they have every means possible to succeed. The Army has so many resources to help our soldiers, we just need to determine who needs help and what help they need.”
“Every soldier is different. A leader has to know what tools or mechanisms are out there and be creative to reach each soldier so they can make the right decision. It all comes down to knowing your soldier,” said Aaron.
Within the first 24 hours of redeploying, soldiers mostly spend time with their family, their kids, and their significant other, explained Aaron, the next 48 hours are crucial. That is when soldiers have spent that time with family and now they want to go out and blow off some steam.
“What we are planning is having soldiers from our rear detachment downtown checking on soldiers,” said Aaron. “We are not there to stop them from having a good time, we are just making sure they are safe and in control of themselves and if we see them in a situation, we can help. I truly want to make sure my soldiers are safe and taken care of.”
“United We Stand” was a pledge Aaron made and encouraged his non-commissioned officers to make. The pledge urges non-commissioned officers to personally know their soldiers and interact on a level where they can identify any possible issues they may be facing and work together to resolve them.
With the Army facing serious problems such as suicide, DUIs and divorce, Aaron is hoping his battalion can have a safe redeployment and not let any Rock's Support soldiers become a statistic.