Resiliency key to healthy military life

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Victor J. Caputo
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Staying strong doesn't always mean being able to run a mile and a half in 10 minutes or doing more pushups than the next Airman over.

It can often mean simply overcoming challenges and obstacles that might come up throughout the life of a military member, and members of Team McConnell are trying to help people counter these issues.

"The wing resiliency plan is designed to help Airmen and their families prepare in advance of adverse situations," said Susan Smith, 22nd Force Support Squadron Airman and Family Readiness Center lead master resilience instructor. "We want them to have the tools and skills they need to enhance their resiliency."

Smith, who manages the individual instructors who teach resiliency classes, emphasized how exactly these classes can help an individual through difficult times.

"They go over different skills people can use to prepare for the things that life throws at us," she said. "We teach them how to overcome, steer through, bounce back and reach out during these situations."

The ability to talk to other people, whether co-workers, friends or family, is key to solving many personal problems that someone might go through, said Smith.

Even when things might seem at their very worst, and an escape may seem difficult or even impossible to find, there are always people ready to help, she said.

"You're not alone," said Smith. "There are a lot of caring people out there, and we're a team. We all want to take care of each other, all you have to do is reach out to someone and they'll help."

Two of the groups here that are always available to help out are the chapel and the mental health flight in the 22nd Medical Operations Squadron.

"Sometime we don't see people until their problems begin to overwhelm them, we would like to see them earlier on in the process" said Master Sgt. Raul Salinas, 22nd MDOS Mental Health Flight chief "sometimes the member doesn't have the skills to manage the issue or may just need additional support in dealing with it; that's where mental health comes in."

Mental health offers individual, group and marital counseling to active duty members and recently also began to offer the same services to dependent spouses.

"Very often people have small issues, and they let those issues begin to fester and then they begin to snowball," said Salinas. "We want to see them before that snowballing starts."

The only goal is to ensure Airmen are able to overcome any issues in their lives and continue pressing forward with the mission and their personal goals.

While some people may be concerned about what can happen to their careers if they see mental health, Salinas was adamant that unless the issues have already negatively impacted their career, mental health is not a tool that can be used by a commander to negatively impact an Airman's career.

"It is about the one percent of the members we see who don't come see us before their issues significantly impair their duty performance and that brings into question if continued service is possible for them." said Salinas. "The other 99 percent will come out of care stronger and ready to continue on with the mission and their personal goals."

If the mental health clinic doesn't seem the most appealing route, the chapel staff is always ready to listen.

"A chaplain is one person you can talk to," said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Janis Dashner, 22nd Air Refueling Wing head chaplain. "What we'll do is find a way to get you help."

Dashner insisted that sometimes the best person to talk to may just be whoever is around, whether that be a friend or a co-worker.

To find out more about resiliency classes or programs, check the Leadership Pathways website, www.mafblp.com, or call the AFRC at (316) 759-6020. To talk to someone in mental health or the chapel, call (316) 759-5095 or (316) 759-3566.