Airmen build morale during 445th Wingman Day

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Santana Austin
  • 445th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  To emphasize the importance of resiliency and the Wingman Concept, the Airmen of the 445th Airlift Wing took part in their annual Wingman Day during the April 7 unit training assembly.

During Wingman Day, each unit partakes in activities meant to encourage camaraderie and improve resilience. From the day an Airman undergoes basic training to the day they retire, they have two important missions: the mission of the Air Force and being a wingman.

"Being a true wingman entails a great deal of responsibility," said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) David Leist, 445th Airlift Wing Chaplain Corps. "You're a mentor and are looking out for your other wingmen."

Wingman Day, developed by the Director of Safety of the Air National Guard and in partnership with the Wingman Project, is a day designed for the promotion of the Wingman Concept. Airmen learn about the four pillars of fitness: mental, physical, social and spiritual.

"Think of your life as a chair and the four pillars as the legs of the chair," said Leist. "When one leg is off-balance or gone, the entire chair loses balance."

Mental fitness requires good coping skills, a strong self-perception and a positive approach to life. People who are mentally fit tend to show good self-control and make good choices.

"Everyone copes with stress differently, as everyone has different stressors," said Leist. "It's never good to let yourself get too stressed out. Always take some sort of time to decompress when the day is done."

Physical fitness means meeting fitness requirements and leading a healthy lifestyle that includes adequate exercise, rest and nutrition.

"If you want to keep good physical health, you need to sleep well, exercise adequately and eat the right things. When I look back to the day I joined the Air Force, I realized something; that decision may have saved my life," said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) William Dickens, 445th AW Chaplain Corps. "Before I joined, I was headed in a direction that truly wasn't good for my health. In the Air Force, we're all expected to keep a good level of fitness. To this day, I still keep myself healthy."

Social fitness means being able to develop and maintain trusted, valued relationships that are personally fulfilling and provide a safe place to exchange ideas, views and experiences.

"Make the time to find your support group," said Leist. "When you get more involved with your community or your group, you keep your ability to cope with certain social situations in tune and have a sense of identity."

Spiritual fitness is about having a sense of purpose and meaning in one's life. It strengthens the set of beliefs, principles or values that give a person a sense of well-being, hope and the will to keep going.

"Many people go about their day and forget all about the spiritual pillar, but do not realize just how important it is," said Chaplain (Capt.) Brian Honett, 445 AW Chaplain Corps. "When you forget about the spiritual aspect of life, you begin feeling like your life has no purpose. Times can get difficult: we all need something to believe in."

Wingman Day not only teaches Airmen about the importance of the four pillars of fitness, but also how vital teamwork and unity is.

"The pillars are similar to us as a unit in the sense that no single person is alone in any endeavor," said Col. Stephen Goeman, 445th AW commander. "We work, fail or succeed together as a unit."