Strengthening the Domains, AF Resilience Course Trains the Trainers

Published June 23, 2014
By Capt. Matthew Chism
USAF Expeditionary Center Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST -- The unassuming professional education classroom sits anchored in the corner of two normally quiet hallways. Inside, the atmosphere is buzzing with laughter, discussion and...disco music.

The U.S. Air Force's sole course for master resilience instructor training, now two years strong, provides education, materials, and skills for Airmen who will be at the forefront of their base's resilience efforts.

"We use music, portions of TV shows and other short clips because they enhance the skills we are teaching," said Master Sgt. Tracy Schutts, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Master Resilience Trainer course director. "The videos can show something in a way that we as instructors cannot and it connects with our audience. Sometimes it's a funny video, sometimes it's not, but it helps them see what we are trying to communicate."

Students must complete an online portion that introduces teaching skills prior to departing their home station. Military and civilian Airmen receive lessons in 11 key areas during the nine-day MRT course, such as Capitalizing on Strengths, Interpersonal Problem Solving, and Accomplishing Goals.

"These skill areas enhance awareness in critical components that support the four domains of Comprehensive Airmen Fitness," Schutts said.

Tech. Sgt. Jason Palmitessa, 81st Security Forces Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of plans and programs, said the course helped him realize how one aspect of a person's resilience can help support other areas. Palmitessa hopes to impart this and other lessons he learned during his unit's training and when he teaches at the First Term Airmen Center at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.

"I think this course goes more in depth with how to teach and present information to the people you are training," Palmitessa said. "It will be adaptable to them, so I think they will take more from it."

Each Airman who completes the course leaves designated an MRT, enabling them to teach others resilience skills and assist in the management of resilience events at their current and future bases.

The MRT course leaders expect to train nearly 500 students this year and will soon add more instructors to increase the ability to train Airmen and reach the AF goal of one MRT for every 200 Airmen.

"This course requires personal engagement, interaction, and sharing of information," said Col. Theresa Snow, the Headquarters Air Force individual mobilization augmentee to the Director of Services. "A lot of the learning here comes from exploring personal experiences. These MRTs will employ techniques learned in the class to teach Airmen life skills to cope with the stressors and changing demands of everyday life."

Snow said resilience training is important because we all face challenging situations and need to have skills to recover from them.

"This is a proactive holistic approach to a person's mental, physical, social, and spiritual fitness and MRTs are the critical link to teaching resilience skills to our force," Snow said.

To become an MRT, military and civilian Airmen can contact their respective base community support coordinators, MRTs, or chain of command for more information.