JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Maryland –
The U.S. Air Force recognizes four areas of life that contribute to a balanced lifestyle. Those four areas of Comprehensive Airmen Fitness, referred to as pillars, are mental, social, physical and spiritual.
Last year, April 2, 2014, a new AFI 90-506 was published that established flexibility for commanders and community support coordinators to run resilience events and training in conjunction with or independent of commander-themed wingman days.
"Our focus is on the well-being and care for ourselves, each other and our families so we can be more resilient to the many challenges military service brings," said U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, in a story published on www.af.mil, August 2014.
To help members at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and the National Capital Region, Master Sgt. Jermey Lawley, 11th Wing Equal Opportunity superintendent, recently became a certified master resiliency trainer. The position qualifies him to speak to individuals, whether they're military members or not, about the four pillars and help them through life troubles.
"We put a little touch of military into our training, but really we don't speak much about being in the military at all," Lawley said. "We talk about values and I'm very clear in the training that when I'm talking about values, I want everyone to forget about 'core values' for a moment. I want everyone to think about the values that are near and dear to you instead of those things the Air Force tells us are our values. It's deeper than just relating it to the military; it's about relating it from one human being to another."
An individual's values; honesty, trust, faith, family, all remind people what's important in their own individual lives and help them persevere through hard times.
"People get stuck in ruts and patterns. It's about people realizing there are different avenues out there to make it through hardships, whether it's something traumatic or day-to-day," Lawley said. "It's not about just getting through things but teaching you how to recognize patterns in your thinking and the importance of physical, social, spiritual and mental preparedness."
Lawley related his Air Force career in equal opportunity to his time as a master resiliency trainer comparing the impact made to help people through their problems, big or small.
"It's just my way of giving back," Lawley said.
For information to learn more about resiliency training and Comprehensive Airmen Fitness you can contact William B. Sanders, Community Support Coordinator, at 240-612-6318 or visit the Air Force Portal and click the CAF tab under life and fitness.