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Training a resilient family, force
Lt. Col. Greg Laffitte and Col. Patrick Doherty speak on the importance of resiliency in the lives of military members and their families during a resiliency training seminar Aug. 12, 2011, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. N.C. Being able to bounce back and not break was one of the main themes during the training. Laffitte is a resiliency trainer from Moody AFB, Ga., and Doherty is the 4th Fighter Wing commander at Seymour Johnson AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Rae Perry)
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Officials train a resilient family, force

Posted 8/18/2011 Email story   Print story

    


by Senior Airman Rae Perry
4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs


8/18/2011 - SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFNS) -- Officials from Seymour Johnson Air Force base hosted a resiliency training session for Air Combat Command dependents Aug. 12 here.

"Spouses and teenagers deal with the deployment schedules and battle rhythm that our active-duty forces deal with each and every day," said Col. Patrick Doherty, the 4th Fighter Wing commander. "They need just as much resiliency and skill sets that go along with everyday challenges."

Lt. Col. Greg Laffitte, the resiliency trainer from Moody AFB, Ga., helped to adapt training, used by the University of Pennsylvania faculty members, to help improve the lives of military members as well as their spouses and children.

The training was geared to teach Airmen and their dependents to avoid thinking traps, detect "icebergs" problems that may appear small on the surface, but a bigger issue lies underneath; manage energy, solve problems and how to put things into perspective. It also went into more detail about being resilient in real time, identifying strengths in yourself and others, using those strengths to overcome challenges, active constructive responding and praise, assertive communication and to hunt the good stuff in life.

"Resiliency is about bouncing and not breaking," Laffitte said. "It is about facing something that you are uncomfortable with and accomplishing your goals."








tabComments
8/22/2011 11:15:47 PM ET
Perspective - I'll give you perspective. We put our lives on the line and our families sacrifice in ways the general populace can't begin to comprehend because we believe in this country and are the 1 percent protecting it. Then, when the Govt allows a protracted war to go on for 10 years and the money gets tight, they start listening to those who say we are priviledged and we get so much more than our civilian counterparts, we are no different. We are vastly different! Then they start cutting jobs, losing permament employees who PCS with their sponsor to the next base and can't get a job due to the hiring freeze, sending someone with years knowledge out the door. We are doing the same amount of flying with half the people we used to have 15 years ago in our component and are lucky we haven't snapped yet. You can't have it both ways - reducing the numbers but keep on tasking and tasking. When the best people quit signing up and they have to institute a draft again.
gaijin, SEA
 
8/22/2011 11:49:57 AM ET
LtCol Laffitte certainly doesn't need me to defend him--he's pretty bad-A--but I can assure you he has a real job in a warfighting organization. He teaches resilience because it helps our airmen and their families be better people.
FuryUs, TX
 
8/20/2011 11:29:34 AM ET
They're preparing military families to be unemployed civilians. It is quite a challenge to return from a deployment and be unemployed a few months later.
RIFed, USA
 
8/18/2011 9:07:28 PM ET
How about we let service members take care of their families on their own and stop the fast turnaround on deployments instead of pretending to care about the Air Force's most valuable asset!
Disgruntled TSgt, SWAmerica
 
8/18/2011 8:02:25 PM ET
Resilient - the AF buzzword of the month. Now there's a lieutenant colonel running around teaching resiliency. You've got to be kidding me. Get that officer a REAL job or RIF him. Let the chaplains teach this stuff.
Otis R. Needleman, USA
 
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