Wright-Patt volunteers needed for master resilience training relaunch

  • Published
  • By Amy Rollins
  • Skywrighter Staff

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- An Air Force program designed to make Total Force Airmen more resilient, or have the ability to recover from or adjust easily to stress, misfortune or change, is being relaunched force-wide at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, says the installation's community support coordinator.

Jan Devitt is a member of the Commander's Action Group and is heading up the relaunch efforts.

Comprehensive Airman Fitness, or CAF, is one of the Air Force's highlighted programs. Its goal is to build and sustain a thriving and resilient Air Force community that fosters the four domains of mental, physical, social and spiritual fitness.

"Master resilience trainers, or MRTs, are important for sustaining our momentum," Devitt said. "We're trying to revamp and let everyone know how important the resilience program is. We want to re-engage."

One of the program's goals is to have more MRTs who will train resilience training assistants, or RTAs. Together, this team will teach resilience courses across the installation.

"We should have one MRT per 200 personnel members -- military, civilians and contractors -- at Wright-Patt," Devitt said. "Currently there are 34 MRTs at Wright-Patterson AFB, while the need is for at least 137," she said. "Plus, each unit or squadron should have at least one resilience training assistant as the point of contact for their resilience efforts."

The goal is to train the Total Force to continually enhance resilience skills based on the four domains of health and to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle.

"The Air Force understands our people are our most valuable asset," she said. "We are the support system for our military community. We must take care of ourselves and each other, to build and sustain a culture of resilient Airmen and families."

"Resilience is key to our folks completing the mission -- whatever the particular mission is," said Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Arbona, 88th Air Base Wing command chief. "We have a lot of technology and innovation in our Air Force, but if we don't have a strong, resilient human component behind those resources, then they cannot be fully utilized. We have to ensure our Airmen -- officer, enlisted and civilian -- are as resilient as they can be, so they are in the right frame of mind while they are executing their mission