2007 year of Resilient Warrior

  • Published
  • By TSgt Thomas Czerwinski
  • Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii --  To help kick off the New Year, Gen. Paul V. Hester, Commander Pacific Air Forces has designated 2007 as the year of the 'PACAF Resilient Warrior.'

The PACAF Resilient Warrior initiative is a 12-month campaign focusing on eleven critical attributes of success designed to enhance pride in Airmen, build resilience and reinforce responsible decision making. Each month throughout 2007, beginning in February, a different attribute of success will be highlighted.

"Our Airmen face increasing challenges today due to force shaping, high ops tempo and frequent deployments. Resilience is the process of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially highly stressful or traumatic events," said General Hester. "Resilient Airmen are able to overcome adversity, bounce back positively from setbacks and cope well with stress without acting in dysfunctional or harmful ways."

The PRW initiative will incorporate attributes of success, COMPACAF messages, and will be marketed through various internal information outlets; including commander's calls, Air Force News broadcasts, wing stand-ups and base newspapers, according to Col. Daniel Wyman, PACAF command surgeon.

Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the world has become an ever-changing place for Americans, especially for those in uniform, their families and Department of Defense employees.

"We all must think quickly and decisively in efforts to accomplish the mission," said Colonel Wyman. "The PACAF Resilient Warrior is an over-arching initiative utilizing core values and providing a path to attributes that Airmen need to be successful."

The program will lay the foundation for programs designed to motivate airmen to act responsibly, take care of themselves and each other, as well as being prepared for deployment, according to Colonel Wyman.

The success of the PRW initiative will be measured in terms of decreasing numbers in mal-adaptive behaviors such as suicides, domestic violence, alcohol abuse and assault.

"When Airmen are talking about challenges in their lives and have a way to meet those challenges they are less likely to fall into harmful destructive behaviors," said Colonel Wyman.