EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Members at Los Angeles Air Force Base took a day from mission activities to invest some time in their health during the Sept. 8 Resiliency Day.
Lt. Col. Brian Vance, deputy commander of Space Base Delta 3, participated in the events. “Resiliency Days are great for breaking out of mission routine and taking stock of the wellbeing of not only our fellow Airmen and Guardians but also ourselves,” Vance said.
The day’s agenda included a helping agency fair, guest speakers, self-improvement workshops, physical fitness activities and self-defense classes. “We get introduced to new concepts, resources and people while building stronger connections with those we already know,” Vance said.
Team Building resources for units and virtual events were also available.
“Resiliency Day is designed to reinforce the Guardian Ideal and Wingman Concept through Comprehensive Airman Fitness (CAF) and the Guardian Integrated Resiliency Team (IRT) initiatives,” said Bryan Blue, community support program manager for the base. “This includes the domains of mental, physical, social, and spiritual resilience.”
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Staying connected with others is key to awareness, and vital to the health of our relationships with family, friends and teammates at work. Making time to participate in Resiliency Day events ensures we have access to information that helps us take care of others and ourselves.
The helping agency fair took place in the Schriever Courtyard and organizations provided information about their services, some agencies in attendance were - Family Child Care, Chapel, Civilian Health Promotion Services, Military Family Life Counselor, Mental Health/ADAPT/Family Advocacy, Key Spouse Program, Red Cross, and the Staff Judge Advocate/Legal Office.
An invited guest speaker was retired Army Lt. Col. Tom Lasser, who shared his experiences as a Master Army aviator with more than 1,000 helicopter missions during the Vietnam War. His military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Legion of Merit, Air Medal with 35 Oak Leaf clusters and Bronze Star.
“You mature really quickly when someone is shooting at you,” Lasser said. He attributed his perspectives on resilience to the experiences of serving alongside others in combat, “You don’t want to disappoint your team.”
1st Lt. Taylor Arias, cyber security lead for FORGE, attended Lasser’s presentation and said it was intriguing to him because his grandfather was a cavalry troop in an air assault division. “The Vietnam combat stories made me think about what my grandpa may have been experiencing in the back of those helicopters,” Arias said.
Everyday life and work can present challenges, so learning how to manage them in a healthy way is essential. The day was about sharing skills and building a resiliency toolbox to help cope with these everyday stressors and increase camaraderie.
The full range of the day’s events and available resources provided opportunities to learn new skills and have fun. “Resiliency Day offers us a chance to team build, connect and bond with our coworkers outside of the everyday work and mission related interactions,” Blue said.
Learn more at Department of the Air Force Resilience.