Resiliency has become vogue in recent years in the Air Force. You have heard this from a few sources and hopefully once or twice from us chaplains. Resiliency is important to chaplains, from the rank and file up to the chief of chaplains.
We know it’s important because of the many studies showing how it helps everyone, especially our Airmen. It is also important because of the hands-on experience we have had. They all point to one thing – resiliency helps us weather and even triumph over adverse incidents in our lives. The greater the resiliency, the greater the chance to withstand and overcome burdensome things in our lives, ending stronger than before.
We’ve seen how helpful resiliency is — whether it’s physical resiliency, meaning we don’t have to overdo it in the last months before a PT test, or emotional resiliency which helps us overcome change in a relationship.
Resiliency helps us in our daily lives, but it shines when significant negative events occur or even when smaller stressors build up over time. The folks who are able to hold up under these stressors likely have in common one factor – a good deal of resiliency. This may be because they have fostered family relationships, built a community of friends, garnered strength from spiritual practices or any other kind of resiliency-building activity. Or, they may have built up each realm of resiliency through training.
We divide these realms so we can examine our lives and see how we’re doing in each area. It is the goal of chaplains to see Airmen amass resiliency in every part of their lives. It would do little good to be mentally resilient only to collapse when emotional resiliency is required.
It is the hope and prayer of the chapel corps here on base that Airmen advance in resiliency in every facet of their lives. It is our vocation to help with this, especially in the area of spiritual resiliency. We want to see strong Airmen able to complete the mission, to mature as individuals, and be a strong support to other Airmen, family members and friends.
We’ll work with anyone who is willing, and be there if one of those stressors or difficult events affects you greatly. We’ll also be there for you if you see your wingman needing help or if you just want to talk things out. Please reach out to us or the other support folks here on base, and look for us as we come around your squadron.