Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas -- Col. Thomas Shank, 47th Flying Training Wing commander; guest speaker Kevin Hines, global speaker, author and mental health advocate; and supporting base and local agencies came together for the ‘Loving life at Laughlin’-themed Wingman Day at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 5 and 6.
Members of Team XL attended a commander’s call, received a presentation from Hines, took part in a wing photo and attended a wing picnic that involved demonstrations from various Del Rio organizations.
“Wingman Day allows Team XL to cultivate a resilient force, in addressing aspects of all four pillars of Comprehensive Airmen Fitness,” said Aliyah Negley, 47th FTW community support coordinator.
CAF was made to incorporate the Wingman concept and to foster a culture of Airmen taking care of Airmen, while at the same time addressing everyday stressors and building resiliency.
“Today's Airmen need to know that help is available,” said Negley. “And more importantly, they don't have to go through challenges alone.”
Wingman Day activities will emphasize informational awareness, accountability, team-building and communication skills for selected topics outlined in the CAF guidelines.
Hines believes in the power of the human spirit and in the fact that you can find the ability to live mentally well.
As Laughlin’s final Wingman Day of 2015 comes to a close, Airmen have hopefully walked away with a better understanding of the importance of CAF and how it relates to their day-to-day life and its impact on the mission.
“These days should be taken as an opportunity to build up camaraderie and the wingman concept within our groups,” said Shank. “We always hear that we should apply the wingman concept and we should watch each other’s back. This means we should always be paying attention to our fellow wingmen’s mental, spiritual, social and physical well-being.”