JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Members of national and international police departments attended resiliency training May 24-26 led by the Airman Leadership School cadre at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
The training, attended by graduates of the FBI National Academy and representatives of the Texas Department of Public Safety, is the same resiliency training active duty, guard, reserve and civilian Air Force members receive annually.
Senior Master Sgt. John Chacon, JBSA-Lackland ALS commandant, says he and the ALS cadre welcomed this opportunity to partner with the FBINA and Texas DPS to teach prevention.
“This collaboration shows how important resiliency is in any career field and now we get to take the Air Force model outside the gates and serve those who serve.” Chacon said. “We’re helping others to build a resilient mindset so they’re ready when the tough times come because life’s hard moments are not the time to learn how to be resilient.”
Lt. Melvin Allick, Texas Department of Public Safety Recruiting Service and member of the FBI National Academy Associates’ Officers Safety and Wellness committee, is a former Air Force pararescue Airman who medically retired as a staff sergeant in 2006. He, along with his Texas DPS colleague Lacy Wolff, also a member of the OSW committee, are responsible for initiating this partnership with the Air Force.
Allick stated that research indicates the law enforcement community leads the nation in divorce, substance abuse and suicide. And the FBINAA and Texas DPS are working toward the goal of preventing, not reacting to, these statistics.
“Typically in the law enforcement community, we don’t talk about these things, but I’m unlocking the door for others to talk about these issues,” Allick continued. “It’s my way of still living the pararescue motto ‘so that others may live.”
Echoing the Air Force’s holistic approach of including families in resilience training, the attendees plan to host their own regional training sessions open to families.
“We’re all in this fight together,” Allick said. “We can’t succeed in our career if we’re failing at home.”
Wolff believes it’s because the Air Force is leading the way in fusing mental health and physical fitness that makes its resiliency model the best fit to accomplish their goal of prevention.
“The military always seems to be a few steps ahead of the law enforcement community and they certainly were in regards to resiliency,” Wolff said. “The Air Force’s model of resiliency is easy to replicate, simple and, yet, very practical.”
Retired Col. Randy Richert was instrumental in developing the Air Force’s Comprehensive Airman Fitness model in 2010 and those in his unit were among the first master resilience trainers. Today, Richert serves on the OSW committee to enrich the lives of police officers and their families.
“We want to help the law enforcement community understand the components of stress, how to handle stress and then destigmatize the stress they face,” said Richert. “If you allow the stigma to continue, people will shy away from seeking help. We want to make sure people understand stress is normal and not a sign of weakness. If you hurt your leg, we put you in a cast and change your duties until you’re healed, but if you have a mental health issue, you could be fired and stigmatized.”
Chacon agreed on the need for more emphasis on mental safety, not just physical safety.
“Airmen and law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day,” said Chacon. “They give us body armor, and resiliency is that armor for our minds.”