JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Combining physical, moral, spiritual and mental fitness is the main idea behind the Whole-Person Concept. Since 2010, the Air Force has implemented this type of thinking in its own Resiliency Training, which includes not only whole-person thinking but also other concepts such as self-recognition and stress management.
Today, Resiliency Training is taught to military members Air Force-wide. However, after noting the high influence of the military spouse on the service member, and the training's far-reaching positive impact, the Air Force is now initiating the same Resiliency Training to Key Spouses across the force.
"Key Spouses are taught this because they are the role models for other spouses on base," said Shelly Walker, Joint Base Andrews Military and Family Support Center Community Readiness consultant. "We're teaching this because there is no one more resilient than the military spouse, outside of military members themselves."
During the first session, spouses gathered to listen to resiliency concepts under the training's first lesson of awareness. Comprised in this lesson were essential Resiliency skills which included: the ABC Concept (Activating event, Brain, Consequences), Check Your Playbook (which described the influence of one's own reactions to performance), and counting blessings. Additional lessons include skills concerning balanced thinking, accomplishing goals, inter-personal problem solving, constructive responses, as well as spiritual and physical resiliency.
In total, 16 of Joint Base Andrews's key spouses participated in the resiliency lesson, six of whom had previously served on active-duty.
"The Air Force is trying to support its families and their spouses in the best way they can," said Liz Waters, 11th Wing Key Spouse member and Resiliency Training assistant. "This included attacking issues from every angle - which includes building resiliency in the spouses of our Airmen. Unless we do that, then one person is receiving training, and what good is the training at that point?"
For more information on Resiliency Training or how to attend another Key Spouse Resiliency Training class, contact the Andrews Military and Family Support Center at 301-981-0631.