Building resilient Airmen Published Nov. 7, 2011 By Capt. Michael Fischer 8th Medical Operation Squadron KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Resiliency is a word that has been heavily emphasized recently in military culture. It has become a word linked with military suicide prevention, family reintegration and overall emotional well being. However for many Airmen, resiliency is something they are told they have to do but don't really understand what it means. Lt. Col. Marlin Moore, 8th Medical Operations Squadron mental health flight commander, describes resiliency as a teeter totter. On one side is a person's positive coping skills and things that are part of their quality of life, such as their car, family, etc. On the other side are all the stressors and issues they are dealing with in their professional and personal life. When they face hard, life situations, it is common for the stressor side to rise and the residency side to lower, which causes the person to become distressed. In order to rebalance the teeter totter, the person must be able to utilize their positive ways to handle stress. Otherwise, the stressful side of the teeter totter will remain higher than the other side, the colonel said. "This is even more apparent at a remote tour like Kunsan where a person's coping strategies are so severely compromised due to not being around their usual support systems and personal stuff, while dealing with a high ops tempo," Moore said. Additionally, Moore said a number of people lower their resiliency by making poor choices when they arrive at Kunsan, such as irresponsible drinking and not seeking help before it gets to a point where it is almost too late to prevent a negative outcome. Kunsan offers numerous ways for people to get help with emotional issues. There are several agencies here to assist Airmen in need: the Mental Health Clinic in Building 302, 782-4841; the Base Chapel in Building 501, 782-4300; and the Military Life Consultant in Building 1051, 782-2297, offer counseling and supportive services. Unlike physical fatigue, resiliency does not naturally replenish itself. "It takes a conscious effort to replenish a person's resiliency stock pile," Moore said. "Taking time to do things like reading a book, working out, and talking to loved ones can help to strengthen emotional resolve." "However, everybody is different so the most important thing to remember when referring to resiliency is the activity should be meaningful and relaxing." Another key part of rebuilding resiliency is taking and having the time to do things that are meaningful and relaxing. In high ops areas like Kunsan, this can be a challenging task, because many times it seems like a person must choose between sleeping and relaxing. Sleeping replenishes the body, while relaxing offers emotional release. However, Moore encourages Airmen to find a way to achieve balance if possible by looking at what you want to do and need to do. Sometimes it is a simple matter of a person realizing they have to take time for themselves, while looking at how to take care of their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Maj. Christine Blice-Baum, 8th Fighter Wing chaplain, said spiritual fitness or readiness is a key part of building resiliency. "Spiritual resiliency involves finding joy and meaning in life and helps to find focus on what's really important," Blice-Baum said. "Spirituality then becomes a source of resiliency and a strong foundation to weather the difficulties and changes of daily life." Life can be a hectic merry-go-round of stress causing queasy and nervous feelings. Sometimes Airmen have to remember to step back from this merry-go-round and ride the teeter-totter until the stomach settles down to avoid decorating the ground with our emotional lunch. Taking time to settle things offers the chance to find balance in all things.