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AETC leaders on resiliency: ‘It’s personal’

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Clinton Atkins
  • Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas --  The commander of Air Education and Training Command Gen. Edward A. Rice Jr., released a video at the beginning of this year's Critical Days of Summer campaign with a clear message: It's personal.

"As commander, when someone in our AETC family hurts, I hurt. I take mishap prevention and resiliency seriously," the general said. "For me, it's personal."

Matters of resiliency are a top priority to AETC leaders. Last year alone, six AETC family members took their own lives. As a result, leaders are taking a harder look at the programs supporting Airmen and their families who are living within an increasingly constrained operational and fiscal environment.

"Being resilient isn't just about job performance. Nor is it about preventing mishap fatalities and suicides," General Rice said. "Resiliency is the mental, social, physical and spiritual well-being that propels our everyday lives. It leads us to prosper, make good decisions and overcome adversity. It's eating right, sleeping well and exercising. It's spending time with family and friends. It's job satisfaction. It's finding that necessary balance in your life that helps you to cope with virtually any situation thrown your way. It's the peace of mind of knowing and trusting that you can lean on family, friends and your wingman when situations seem desperate or things seem their lowest."

In addressing the matter of resiliency, AETC leaders laid their expectations in a community action plan on how to better foster the mental, social, spiritual and physical wellbeing, collectively known as Comprehensive Airmen Fitness.

AETC bases, through their Community Action Information Boards and Integrated Delivery Systems, will use a combined approach by stringing together the helping agencies like the chapel, mental health, Airman and family readiness center, and the health and wellness center.

The CAP is based on a framework supporting the individual, group and environment. The CAP describes a goal for each area: the individual - create a culture of responsibility; the group - foster strong community integration, sense of Air Force family; the environment - maintain a robust customer support environment with facilities, services and processes.
Col. Creig Rice, AETC safety director, said it is the responsibility of every person in AETC to implement the plan.

"Let's figure out a way, on an individual- and group-level, to help our Airmen, including DoD civilians and families, deal better with the stresses involved in military life," the colonel said.
To achieve the goals set by the CAP, AETC will use a multitude of classes and programs that already exist at the helping agencies. However, Colonel Rice said many Airmen are either not informed about their options or feel there's a negative connotation that comes with seeking help.

Command leaders found class attendance at many of the agencies is often poor. To boost attendance, AETC will use a successful program, called Leadership Pathways, first implemented, at Air Mobility Command. The command will begin implementation soon and will be up to full speed by September 2013.

Leadership Pathways is designed to use individual recognition at the squadron, group and wing levels to encourage Airmen to attend classes offered by Air Force helping agencies. One star is given for completion of eight classes and the individual receives squadron-level recognition; two stars are given for taking 15 classes and results in group-level recognition; and three stars and wing-level recognition are given for 20-plus classes.

Colonel Rice said he hopes this concerted effort will ensure widespread awareness of the benefits each class offers. Leadership Pathways, along with the community action plan, are designed to improve information dissemination and the way helping agencies are viewed.

"We, as leaders and supervisors, must better inform our Airmen and their families about the programs available to them that can really make a difference in their lives," said Lt. Gen. Douglas Owens, AETC vice commander. "We also need to do a better job of showing them it's alright to use these helping agencies.

"Leadership Pathways will help us get there," he said.

For AETC to accomplish its goal of improving Airmen's and their families' resiliency, leaders from the top all the way down to the frontline supervisor need to get involved, Colonel Rice said. "The more leaders take care of their Airmen, the better their Airmen are going to take care of the mission," he said. "But it really takes leadership to make it happen."

"Let's all take it personally," General Rice said.