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521st AMOW takes lead on resilience training in Germany

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Matthew Hose
  • 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing Lead Master Resilience Trainer
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  The 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing graduated seven students through the first Resilience Trainer Assistants course at Ramstein Air Base, Germany June 5-8.

"Develop and Care for our Airmen and Families" echoes one of the Air Force's priorities by expanding the Comprehensive Airman Fitness initiative through the Master Resilience Trainer course. Though the Army was the initial driving force behind the MRT course, Air Mobility Command became one of first two major commands in the Air Force to champion this new initiative. AMC's resiliency initiative is structured and enduring to prepare Airmen and their families for adverse events before they occur. The training adopts components from the University of Pennsylvania's Positive Psychology Center and the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program. There are approximately 29 master resilience trainers throughout AMC.

The RTA class consisted of seven students from three squadrons who embraced three educational days followed by a day of practical teaching to build students' confidence. During the first three days, students were taught the attributes of resiliency and how to overcome challenges and adversities.

"I have gone through a lot in my career," said Senior Master Sgt. Jack C. Johns III, RTA student. "Resiliency has helped me get through my own trials and this course is a wonderful opportunity for me to help my fellow Airmen."

Additionally, the students' resilience was tested through a fitness challenge that incorporated teamwork, mental agility, energy management, and physical endurance. The morning of the fourth day, students met at the gym to compete on an obstacle course that required them to perform activities as an individual and a team. What they thought to be simple--like making a free throw--actually required more attention especially after performing push-ups, sit-ups, and a bear crawl.

Staff Sgt. Casey Churton, RTA student, shared, "The PT challenge was a clever mix of mental and physical resiliency; it tested your ability to retain your mental prowess while under physical strain. I think it was an excellent workout and I plan to use it for my own squadron PT sessions."

Once students completed the fitness challenge, they met back at the classroom where it was their turn to teach segments of the curriculum.

Participants in future classes will learn the same concepts taught to the recent graduates by learning the core competencies that contribute to resilience: self-awareness, self-regulation, optimism, mental agility, strengths of character, and connection. Students are taught seven skills participants learn through the course--Activating Events/Thoughts/Consequence, Avoid Thinking Traps, Detect Icebergs, Energy Management, Problem Solving, Put It In Perspective, and Real-Time-Resilience. All build resilience by targeting one or more core competency in addition to developing Airmen's ability to understand their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

"Thinking traps can be a form of stress," said Staff Sgt. Cliff Robertson, RTA student. "Jumping to conclusions is the main thinking trap and can be avoided by thinking everything through and list all the possibilities."

Students also practiced the technique of "Hunt the Good Stuff" twice a day during the course to build optimism and positive emotion--such as gratitude, to counteract the negativity bias.

Master Sgt. Mark Aube, RTA student shared, "It's important to think about the good stuff and share it with family and friends."

After completing the course, Resilience Trainer Assistants conduct an 8-hour resilience course within their respective units as well as with the First Term Airmen's Center and assist MRTs during RTA courses.

Col. Kip Turain, 521st AMOW commander noted that Airmen need to "be a producer, not just a consumer."

The tenant wing is extending this opportunity to the host wing and partners within the Kaiserslautern Military Community as they promote Gen. Ray Johns, AMC commander's vision statement, "Each of us has a flame inside of us that, when made stronger, can help us withstand life's storms."