Source: United States Airforce Central Command
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, Southwest Asia —
In an effort to promote self-improvement lifestyles, multiple units collaborated to launch a new initiative for deployed members.
The new Wing Wednesday Warrior Development program’s goal is to provide Airmen and Soldiers opportunities to learn about self-improvement methods and to develop leadership skills.
“We want to build leaders,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Matthew Friese, the air expeditionary wing chaplain. “The intention is to get the involvement of Airmen and Soldiers in what we are trying to do by educating them on life skills and giving them leadership opportunities by having them present topics.”
The program was started by the installation helping agencies: the chapel corps, legal office, equal opportunity office, mental health clinic and public affairs.
Each Wednesday there is a 30 minute session conducted at the dining facility, minimizing time they would need to spend away from their daily mission-set.
“Most of us are going to eat lunch anyway, so here is an opportunity to come by, have lunch, learn something and be able to motor on with the day,” Friese said.
Some of the subjects covered are obtaining goals, financial readiness, and healthy professional and personal relationships.
Senior Airman Angelina Coleman, a force support squadron Airmen, attended a lesson on how life-hacks can be vital to one’s future and was inspired to work with the helping agencies to conduct a goal-oriented class.
Coleman, who joined the Air Force at 39, talked about the obstacles she had to overcome in order to be able to enlist in the service. Through small, focused goals, she was able to overcome the hardships and become a sister-in-arms.
“I think the program opens up a lot of opportunities to the Airmen on base,” Coleman said. “I [deployed] here with goals in mind and didn’t know what it would look like, but they are giving us the tools to make those goals successful here.”
The program gives attendees different perspectives and ways of achieving things, whether it is having better communication skills or being able to save extra cash.
According to the Department of Defense’s annual report on financial preparedness, approximately 52 percent of active duty service members save and invest regularly each month.
During the month of January, the topic is finances. Briefers are presenting materials on how to save efficiently and how to set goals to achieve financial freedom.
“All of this is intended so that people can come in and learn, gain and grow, wherever they find themselves at this particular season in life,” Friese said. “They will be able to add value into elements that they may learn and hear ideas that will make sense six months, a year, or even five years from now.”