375th AMW hosting Comprehensive Airman Fitness day Published March 7, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Jake Eckhardt 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Today, the 375th Air Mobility Wing is hosting a base-wide Comprehensive Airmen Fitness day to maintain resilience. "We all know people who seem to be happy and successful in the face of unimaginable challenges," said U.S. Public Health Service's Lt. Cmdr. Julie Chodacki, a master resiliency trainer. "We also know other people who struggle when faced with an obstacle that seems less daunting," she continued. "Resilience makes the difference. Bad things happen to all of us. Resilient people find a way to thrive, not just survive, despite the negative things going on around them." Capt. Christopher Russell, 375th Air Mobility Wing Commanders Action Group officer, said, "This day is all about finding your strengths. We want our Airmen to realize their strengths as well as know how to use them." In the morning, the Airmen will be given two hours of instruction on the importance of Comprehensive Airmen Fitness pillars and why it can be so helpful to have the self-awareness this understanding brings. In this block of instruction the wing members will review their strengths and their Wingmen's strengths and learn a common terminology. "The strengths-based lessons of this CAF Day are designed to help each of us focus on what we do best and to consider how to leverage those strengths to keep our energy up, to be more effective and to improve our satisfaction," said Chodacki. In the afternoon, Airmen from the 375th AMW will be released back to their units to connect with one another through individual activities each unit point of contact has planned for them. "They could have a barbeque, play a game or invite the families of the Airmen to connect," said Russell "The possibilities are endless." Building connections with others is one of the points that will be driven home during this 2012 March CAF Day. "It has been shown that people with strong connections with others have the skills to become more resilient," he said. "Someone that you have known for five years could share a story, in one of the groups. That one story changes your whole perspective of that person. Sometimes because of the dynamics of the military, the stories told today would never be brought up in normal day-to-day work. "As these relationships grow, they (co-workers and Wingmen) will open up. You will know their motivations, fears, anxieties and as you learn those, your relationships become stronger. That's one of the added benefits of it." Russell expressed how recognizing strengths of peers can help one on a personal or social level. "As they gain self-awareness of their strengths and their peers' strengths, they can help mitigate any problems they might have by leveraging one another," said Russell. "With this, you can now know spouse's strengths, and they know yours. Now you have these honest conversations about what you can and cannot do. The expectations are realistic." This concept of leveraging one another has also been taken to the unit level. Certain people might be able to complete a certain task faster or more efficient depending on how strong they are in that certain area. "If the unit knows the strengths of their Airmen, they can utilize their strengths, increase productivity and reenergize the Airmen," Russell said. "Units can now look at a task, see what it would take to get that task done, and see what Airman would be best suited for that task." CAF Day is also used to focus on ensuring one's strengths do not become a weakness. "If your strengths get out of control, or if they get overbearing, they can cause problems in your unit or in your home life," he said. "We wanted to teach how to take control of your strengths. Resilience isn't the absence of bad situations," said Russell. "It's being able to move forward."