TSR battles trauma

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Armando A. Schwier-Morales
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  With or without warning, trauma can strike Airmen at any time. For these events, Airmen can find guidance in the members of the Traumatic Stress Response team.

The TSR program is an Air Force-wide initiative that provides psychological "first aid" to Airmen and community members during or after a traumatic event. Examples of shocking events that TSR assists with include sudden deaths of servicemembers or natural disasters.

"One of our main goals is to respond to shared traumatic events when the unit feels the need," said Capt. Andrew Williams, 22nd Medical Operation Squadron TSR alternate team chief. "We do this because these stressful ordeals can knock us off course, but we need to focus so we can keep boom-operators in the boom and maintainers maintaining."

Agencies like mental health, chaplain corps, Airmen and Family Readiness Center and various others with a mission focus of supporting Airmen comprise TSR. The team provides Team McConnell members with coping skills to be resilient to trauma.

"Together, we keep the mission focused by normalizing the trauma, providing a listening ear or by just being there," said Captain Williams.

TSR personnel are also obtaining the American Red Cross psychological first aid responders certification during the month of June to better serve McConnell, said Captain Williams. The certification will allow the Red Cross to call upon personnel during major disasters, expanding the contribution to the local Wichita, Kan., community.

Even prior to having been certified by the Red Cross, the TSR team has been called upon twice within the past six months to help McConnell's Airmen and the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

"I was comforted to know that the TSR team was there, and I very much appreciated that they did not wait for me to call," said Lt. Col. Mary Teeter, 22nd AMXS commander. "Such critical actions following the emergency situation freed me to provide support to the Airman and to complete actions required of me as commander following a servicemember's death."

While the 25 member team currently has helping agencies providing most of the support, Captain Williams and the rest of the team has a vision for the future, incorporating Airmen at all levels into the TSR program.

"In the future, I see Airmen helping Airmen because they trust their coworkers due to the connections and rapport they have built," said Captain Williams. "It's sometimes much easier to talk to 'Airman Snuffy' sitting next to you, than it would be to someone from a helping agency."