TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. —
The 60th Air Mobility Wing hosted Comprehensive Airman Fitness (CAF) week, a four-day event dedicated to providing development opportunities for Airmen and their families fostering a culture of health and wellness to strengthen Airmen readiness, May 22-25, 2023.
The Travis Integrated Resiliency team planned and organized a wide range of activities and initiatives concentrating on the four CAF pillars: Mental, Social, Spiritual, & Physical, while highlighting the AMC Warrior Heart culture.
Gen. Mike Minihan, AMC commander, routinely highlights the “Warrior Heart. No Stigma,” culture. He recently emphasized this culture during the Spring Phoenix Rally event held April 17-21 at MacDill Air Force Base.
“Warrior Heart is not a program, but rather, about our climate and our culture,” Minihan said.
During this conference, Minihan laid out his three objectives to helping Airmen put their mental health on equal footing with physical fitness and honing their craft: eliminate stigma, lower barriers and increase access and options.
At Travis, the goal of CAF week was to foster the culture of “Warrior Heart” by offering a variety of development opportunities for Airmen. The team sought to provide courses to address the diverse aspects of Airmen’s lives, recognizing that personal well-being is integral to mission success.
“One major goal of CAF week is to improve the footing/grounding of Airmen and their families across the full spectrum of resilience, reminding them of their support networks and expanding skills to be that ultimate Wingman,” said Mr. Keith Burgess, 60th Air Mobility Wing Chief of Integrated Prevention.
The mission of the Integrated Resiliency Office is to build and sustain community capacity for implementing comprehensive plans that address resilience and interpersonal and self-directed violence across a continuum of care focused on prevention, intervention, and response.
In a statement to the base, Col. Derek Salmi, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander, drove the importance of having well-rounded fitness. “Take the time. Step away from your day-to-day routine. Concentrate on how to better yourself for our Air Force.”
The week of activities also aligned with the Air Force’s focus on the Total Force Fitness framework, emphasizing the importance of both physical and mental health.
During the day focused on mental wellness, activities included workshops such as progressive muscle relaxation, conflict resolution and sleep hygiene. Experts and mental health professionals provided guidance and support, with the goal to equip participants with tools to cope with challenges they may face as military members.
“Our goal throughout this process was twofold; to ensure the lessons learned this week would benefit personal resilience,” said Master Sgt. Denise Johnson, Integrated Resilience NCOIC. “Overall, I think we accomplished what we set out to do and hope that everyone enjoyed the week.”
For social connectedness, events planned emphasized opportunities for Airmen to seek out and develop their personal community. The day included social opportunities such as military trivia, group cookouts and a club focused event, encouraging Airmen to come together with shared interests and experiences.
During the spiritual well-being day, teams focused on beliefs and practices that strengthen connectedness with sources of hope, meaning, and purpose. This included both faith-based and non-religious interactive discussions centered on individual spiritual growth, offering Airmen a chance to reflect, find solace, and explore their personal drive and motivation.
“I don’t need every Airman to be religious. I do need every Airman on Travis to understand and develop their meaning and purpose in life,” said Col. Steven Richardson, 60th AMW Chaplain. “This is their ‘why’. Our Airmen face obstacles in and out of the military. What our Airmen face can steal their joy, their hope, or even their reason to live. Therefore… I need Airmen to maximize their ‘why’ so they can overcome any ‘what’.”
The final day of CAF week focused on physical health, offering the units the opportunity to compete in multiple fitness challenges and team-centered events. These activities were aimed to encourage physical fitness and camaraderie within the units.
At the conclusion of the Sports Day, the week culminated with a championship award presentation and the funding of several resilience projects that will improve morale and welfare of Airmen on base.
By nurturing the well-being of our airmen, we build a force resilient and ready to overcome any challenge in the skies,” said Salmi. “Embracing this approach isn’t just an option; it’s a necessity for our success in potential future conflicts”
The week was part of a larger continuous effort to encourage the AMC Warrior Heart culture, developing a holistic approach to Airmen readiness. Throughout the year the Integrated Resiliency team plans to host more routine touchpoints to further support Airmen and their families
