r2communitylink - DVIDS

Director’s Column

Summer 2018

R2COMMUNITYLINKThe Army Resiliency Directorate Newsletter

readyandresilient.army.mil

Summer days are quickly trickling away. I hope you have had the chance to step away from the daily grind to be good to yourself. Whether it’s going on a vacation with family, catching up friends or just finding a moment to

practice self-care, these types of breaks are important to our well-being and allow us to reset and reenergize.

As members of the Army Family, we often encounter a different type of break during this time of year: a break in routines. We’re all familiar with PCS, leave and training cycles that oftentimes occur in the summer. These events result in loss of connections between leaders and their Soldiers and Soldiers with their peers and families. Most importantly, these losses of connections can affect the Personal Readiness of each of us and our teammates.

The Army is committed to increasing positive behaviors, thus to meet this goal, it has adopted a holistic proactive model that focuses on teaching everyday skills grounded on Army Values, fostering leader and Soldier connections, and encouraging Soldier-to-Soldier engagement year-round. These skills help Soldiers strengthen relationships, build emotional stability, and drive engagements at the initial alert from deviations of standards.

This spring the Army launched the Strengthening Readiness and Resilience Campaign to remind everyone to be more

mindful in maintaining routines and building relationships. Materials, including tip sheets and infographics, as well as daily posts on social media, provide tips on how we can strengthen Personal Readiness along the five dimensions of Personal Readiness (Physical, Psychological, Social, Spiritual, and Family Preparedness). Public Service Announcements and fact sheets provide

information on R2 capabilities including training and education and visibility tools. (More on this on page 3.) This campaign, along with other R2 efforts, is the Army’s shift to prevention and providing constructive care to set Soldiers on a trajectory of success.

Remember that as a member of the Army profession, we all have a role in sustaining readiness and accomplishing the mission. When we express compassion and take care of each other, we deepen our Culture of Trust, which results in increased personal and unit readiness.

Building resilience is like building muscle; it’s never too late to start or to make it stronger. We need to continuously work on sustaining our Personal Readiness, so that when we face transitions, we can adjust to the changes and plan for the way ahead.

Be ready and resilient. Know your values. Do what’s right.

Ms. Sharyn Saunders

IN THIS ISSUE

Brain Teaser......................................12

5 Quick Tips: Strengthen Yourself For PCS..........11

WRAIR Tests iCOVER.......................10

Psychology to Increase Readiness...9

Future Officers at CST 2018..........7, 8

ENGAGE at Redstone..........................6

R2 Performance Centers in Action...4

Character Strengths in MRT Course..2

“When we express compassion and take care of each other, we deepen our Culture

of Trust, which results in increased Personal Readiness and unit cohesion.”

Mental Game.....................................12

Strengthening Readiness and Resilience Campaign.........................3

Warrior Games: The Adaptive Sports Trilogy.....................................5

http://readyandresilient.army.mil

R2COMMUNITYLINK Summer 2018


As a part of Ready and Resilient (R2), MRT is a 10-day course that focuses on six core competencies (self-awareness, self-regulation, optimism, mental agility, strengths of character and connection) and 14 resilience skills. R2 Performance Centers provide this and other customized performance training that enables Soldiers to sustain Personal Readiness, enhance resilience, optimize human performance, and build unit cohesion. The training is available Army-wide to active duty, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers, as well as family members and Department of the Army civilians.

To schedule a training, contact the ARD Training Branch at 703-571-7250 or [email protected] or your nearest R2 Performance Center.

More than 20 Soldiers from installations across the Army, attended a 10-day Master Resilience Trainer (MRT) course, May 7-18 at the R2 Performance Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia where they learned performance and resilience skills to share with Soldiers at their units. These skills are designed to help them improve their mental toughness, communication, teamwork, leadership and operational skills.

During the strengths of character exercise, students identified their signature strengths such as leadership, teamwork, bravery, optimism, honesty, zest and how it can help them be more efficient leaders. Students also discussed their “shadow side,” which is when people tend to overuse their strengths without being cognizant of how their actions are perceived. For example, giving praise publicly to someone who prefers to be acknowledged privately.

“The course teaches you about how to be more resilient, by incorporating skills that can be used with everyday tasks, big or small, easy or complex, personally or professionally. Resilience comes from within and by building that you’re forming a shield to deal with things that come your way.” Staff Sgt. Eugene Rogers, instructor and writer at the Defense Information School.

Staff Sgt. Erin Morgan, fife instrumentalist for the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corp said she sees all the skills [are essential] to her job as a musician. “The performance skills are very relevant and helpful to me because they can help me increase my confidence and reduce anxiety when performing in front of crowds. “The curriculum is delivered in a fresh and energetic way and I could definitely recommend this course to others,” said Morgan.

Master Resilience Trainer Course Teaches Soldiers How to Identify and Utilize Character StrengthsARD Strategic Communications

Students identify their signature character strengths during an activity to compare their findings with others. Photo by ARD

Photo by ARD


R2COMMUNITYLINK


Summer 2018

Readiness is the Army’s top priority. Strengthening Soldiers and enhancing Personal Readiness offers the greatest opportunity to increase unit cohesion and achieve positive outcomes. Help us spread this important message. Visit readyandresilient.army.mil and follow @USArmyR2 for related content such as newsletters, tip sheets, infographics, videos and more.

Strengthening Readiness and Resilience Campaign

BE ready and resilient. KNOW your values. Do what’s right.

@USArmyR2

#BeKnowDo #ReadyandResilient

MOTOR POOL I UNIT PROFILECLEARING THE BUILDING

MOTOR POOL II MILITARY MAP TOP DOWN BOTTOM UP


R2COMMUNITYLINK


Summer 2018

Soldiers at Basic Combat Training (BCT) Acquire Skills to Help Them Graduate

FORT JACKSON – Trainees from the 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment participated in exercises that incorporated mental skills that can help them optimize their performance necessary to graduate BCT. More than 75 percent of the trainees said the training, delivered by R2 Performance Experts, helped them improve their performance and 80 percent said it should be given to every BCT company.

R2 Performance Centers in ActionARD Strategic Communications

FORT STEWART – Soldiers at the HHC 703rd Brigade Support Battalion at Fort Stewart participated in activities, hosted by the R2 Performance Center, to foster connections and encourage collaboration. The Soldiers ran through an obstacle course that tested their motivation, confidence, attention control, team building and communication. R2 Performance Experts will continue to work with leadership to develop activities to foster and encourage a culture of trust.

Team Building Exercise Builds Camaraderie and Morale

SPEAR Program Works with an R2 Performance Expert to Optimize Performance

DEL DIN, ITALY – ‘Sky Soldiers’ from the Soldier Performance Education for Advanced Readiness and Resilience program received mental skills training from an R2 Performance Expert, in addition to their curriculum of modern functional fitness methodologies, nutrition, and sleep. Trained to act purposefully, fuel optimally and think critically, these Soldiers are expected to take their learnings back to their unit and implement changes.

FORT BENNING – R2 Performance Experts instructed at firing ranges and conducted concurrent training as Soldiers moved through firing iterations. The mental skills presented included thought-performance connection, selective perception, deliberate breathing and more. A discussion followed about the qualities of an expert shooter to help build their confidence at qualification.

Soldiers Learn Mental Skills Help Soldiers in Rifle Marksmanship

Brain Teaser Answer, page 12: Left - otherwise we would see boarding door!


R2COMMUNITYLINK


Summer 2018

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - At the 2018 Department of Defense Warrior Games, wounded warriors are noticed for their athletic achievements, but there is more to what meets the eye.

“In sports, we see it visually, on the outside as a physical event, but it’s just as much a mental and spiritual event for them,” said Team Army Track Coach Gil Wheeler.

As Soldiers become wounded, ill, or injured, and they are reassigned to a Warrior Transition Unit, and overcoming a medical condition becomes the new mission.

“The reason why these athletes are here is because they had an experience in their life that altered their physicality, their physical presence, or even maybe their emotional presence,” explained Wheeler.

As every Soldier is trained to focus on the most important tasks at-hand, this time mission accomplishment means being open-minded to new possibilities while finding the inner-strength to persevere and overcome.

“A lot on of us had to learn how to be physically active all over again and learn what activities and style of workouts we could do. This, within itself, is a difficult process if we allow it to be,” said Sgt. 1st Class Julio Rodriguez, an intelligence analyst stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia. “I know I struggled with it because I did not have the drive I once had before my medical condition. Overtime, the healing process became more and more effective. I started to enjoy lifting weight again, but it took months because I just did not believe I could,” he added.

As wounded warriors navigate through the Army’s Warrior Care and Transition program, experiences gained through adaptive sports are applied to their daily lives. This, in turn, helps them build confidence and become more resilient which optimizes their performance.

“If you look at all of the athletes here competing, we all had to become more resilient, positive, motivating, and strong-willed in order to push ourselves every day. We had to adapt to become stronger mentally,” said Rodriguez. “Warrior Games and adaptive sport brought faith and trust back in my life. Meeting and learning from so many other athletes that have conquered and overcame their difficulties gave me the courage to believe and have faith in myself to become better, to love my self-more, to have faith and trust in those around me.”

As each athlete comes from different experiences and different events, as a coach, Wheeler says, “what we’re trying to do is help them understand the trilogy there: the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of sports. And they have to manage that whole experience within themselves.”

As the cliché goes, ‘sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.’

“God is a good God, but he is a funny one as well,” Rodriguez explained. “Right at the point that he knows you are about to break, he provides the light and the strength to keep moving forward in life.”

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Julio Rodriguez, throws a disk during a field event while competing in the DoD Warrior Games 2018 at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado on June 2, 2018. U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Carl Greenwell

Warrior Games: The Adaptive Sports TrilogyFrom Our Partners at U.S. Army Warrior Care and Transition

The Department of Defense Warrior Games is an adaptive sports competition, established in 2010, as a way to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded warriors. This year, approximately 300 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, United Kingdom and the Australian Defense Force, and U.S. Special Operations Command took part in the games. The athletes competed in 11 events which included archery, cycling, track and field, shooting, seated volleyball, swimming, track and wheelchair basketball, rowing, powerlifting and time trail cycling. R2 Performance Experts were on-site supporting the athletes. Next year’s games will be hosted by USSOCOM, June 22-30 in Tampa, Florida.


R2COMMUNITYLINK Summer 2018


In crisis situations, it’s difficult to know exactly what to do and how to intervene. Army resilience experts have visited Redstone Arsenal to teach employees how.

To stay ready and resilient, they say the trick is to engage. “We want to say ‘my team trusts me,’” said Aimee Vaughn, a master resilience trainer performance expert (MRT-PE) from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. “How do we get into the environment where I engage, you engage?”

ENGAGE is one of three different workshops these instructors taught May 8-10. Valerie Francis, health promotion program manager at Army Materiel Command headquarters, said the Executive Resilience and Performance Course (ERPC), the ENGAGE course and the Great Teams workshop help support Army initiatives. “These courses definitely [help build the] readiness and resilience of the workforce,” she said.

Ready and Resilient empowers Army leaders to take action to achieve and sustain Personal Readiness. R2 ensures the workforce is ready to face environments of uncertainty and persistent danger. The master resilience trainers first taught the ERPC. Bill Bishop, a Redstone Test Center wellness coordinator, says the four-hour course teaches supervisors all the basic skills they need to be resilient and apply what they learned to their organizations in a condensed format.

“To go through all the skills takes about 25 hours [of training]. This course can be helpful during reintegration after deployments and supports Soldier, civilian and family fitness. “It’s a mind, body and spirit experience,” he said. “If you practice it, you get better at it.”

MRT-PEs also taught ENGAGE to Redstone Arsenal employees for the first time. Vaughn, who instructed the course, highlighted how to step up and take responsibility as a team and as an individual in dangerous situations. “Sometimes you do have to be that catalyst,” she said. “I do have to be the person to kick things off.”

ENGAGE helps Soldiers and civilians stay vigilant by recognizing the initial alert from a deviation of standards. The first step is awareness, recognizing the initial alert. The next step is responsibility, deciding whether or not to step up. The last step figuring out what the plan is, or how to act.

During the class, participants asked questions and shared personal accounts of reaching out to others during dangerous situations. “Any time individuals can connect their experience to the training, they’re more likely to follow through,” Steve Cohen, a master resilience trainer performance expert, said.

Traci Dunlap attended the ENGAGE training, and as a community readiness and resilience integrator (CR2I) at Redstone Arsenal, she said this training paired well with the messages her team sends to the community. “It’s our responsibility to look out for our buddies to our left and our right,” she said.

MRT-PEs later taught the Great Teams workshop to employees from AMC Logistics Support Activity (LOGSA). This program is also new to Redstone Arsenal, but the team has taught the program to other organizations over the last several years. Great Teams is a culture development program, focused on bringing together civilians from across the organization.

They participate in exercises and discuss topics aimed at redefining or shaping their organization’s shared philosophy, vision, values and

A MRT-PE from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, teaches Team Redstone what to do in dangerous situations. ENGAGE teaches employees to take action to achieve and sustain Personal Readiness. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Eben Boothby

(Continued on next page)

Photo by Fort Campbell R2 Performance Center

Resilience Trainers Engage With Team RedstoneFrom Our Partners at Army Materiel Command Public Affairs


R2COMMUNITYLINK


Summer 2018

standards. LOGSA employees participated in team-building activities, including building balloon towers. They also brainstormed company values, how to live out those values and how to operationalize their new vision.

George Filbeck, chief of staff at LOGSA, said he learned a lot about the hard work needed to implement a new culture. He said he only received good feedback from the course. He says the next step is implementing the new ideas, a step the Great Teams trainers will continue to help with.

“It’s a home run,” Filbeck said. “We just have to grab it and keep it

going.” Both installations benefit from the relationship. For Fort Campbell, Cohen says master resilience trainers get to interact with a larger civilian force.

For Redstone Arsenal, Francis says over the last four years, the classes have helped support the priority on Soldiers and people. “When we think about resilience and performance, it isn’t just about the workforce,” Francis said. “The skills that are taught are not just work-related. They can be used in our everyday life.”

To find out more about resilience training opportunities, reach out to master resilience trainers within your organization.

Resilience Trainers Engage With Team Redstone (cont.)

Thousands of Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Cadets are training at Fort Knox, Kentucky to become the next generation of commissioned officers. More than 40 Performance Experts are on-site to support the Cadet Summer Training mission by providing mental skills training to Cadets designed to increase mental toughness and overall performance.

Future Officers Learn Mental Skills at CST 2018ARD Strategic Communications


R2COMMUNITYLINK


Summer 2018

Each year, about 6,000 Cadets from colleges nationwide descend on CST’s Advance Camp to train to become future officers. R2 Performance Experts (PEs) are embedded with regiments at CST to provide performance and resilience skills training to help Cadets excel and keep them motivated to complete the events necessary to graduate.

The 31-day training event consists of four phases designed to mirror a Soldier’s deployment into an allied country which requires U.S. assistance. The first phase includes events such as senior leader briefs, Army Physical Fitness Test, rappel tower, land navigation and Field Leaders Reaction Course (FLRC).

Two lanes divide the FLRC: Black and Gold. Both are filled with challenging obstacles and time is of the essence for Cadets from the 9th Regiment, Company C and D whom in four hours had to navigate their way through the course, putting their leadership, critical thinking and problem-solving skills to the test.

FLRC is designed to build the Cadets confidence by reinforcing basic skills through squad level leader development exercises. “How you lead transfers to the rest of camp and how you will lead as officers. It is a deliberate reflection of yourself,” explained Lt. Col. Philip A. Kornachuk.

The course challenges Cadets to work together as team. It is also an opportunity for cadre members to observe cadets practice skills they have learned both at CST and from their respective Reserved Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC) courses. At each station, the squad leader is given instructions on how to tackle the obstacle at hand to relay to the team. Cadets then had 30 minutes to complete the task and debrief before moving on.

Each obstacle had cadre members to provide direction and guidance. In a debrief to a squad, Capt. William Conser said, “Being an

effective leader, means sometimes taking charge and not letting other peers affect your decisions. But if you’re too hard-nose, people will not likely follow you. You have to be a compassionate figure as well.”

Cadets are then graded on four traits and attributes: leadership, communication, decision-making and adaptability. “Knowing our strengths and weaknesses really helps us as a team. We were all on the same page as the squad leader,” said Cadet Lashaya Clark, University of South Carolina. Team members are also graded on their ability to take directions.

Together, the assessment shows how the squad performed as a team under pressure and how the leader provided purpose, direction and motivation. Kornachuck says it is a living, breathing, personality test as well and by capturing these observations throughout the course, these Cadets can see what their strengths and weaknesses are and what they can focus on next.

“The course is very interesting and fun when you try to solve it together. It shows the integrity of the squad and how well we can work together,” said Cadet Gabriel Moore, Loyola University of New Orleans.

Building Confidence and Team Cohesion

R2 Performance Skills Contribute to Success at Cadet Summer TrainingARD Strategic Communications


R2COMMUNITYLINK


Summer 2018

The idiom “mind over matter” is described in common literature as the ability to control physical condition using the mind. An article published in the Military Medicine Journal on February 2018 by Col. Vanessa M. Meyer “Sport Psychology for the Soldier Athlete: A Paradigm Shift” details just that concept.

Army Chief of Staff General Mark A. Miley states readiness as one of his top priorities and this concept presented in the article addresses readiness leveraging this paradigm shift. In the military, it has always been widely expected to maintain a mental fortitude mirroring a battle-ready physical fortitude. The traditional idea of the Army Basic Training ‘break Soldiers down to build them up’ refers both to the physical and mental training involved in developing a ‘battle-ready’ Soldier. Unfortunately, this idea is also outdated.

The Army Human Dimension refers to resilience as being “holistically fit” Soldier as “confident, nutritionally sound, mentally tough, and physically strong.” However, this concept has not really been fully embraced and integrated into the military.

The article describes the “cost of $58,000 per Soldier for this training and a goal of 62,000 new recruits in 2017, the monetary loss of Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) failure exceeds $251 million.” With these staggering statistics, the current stigma in addressing psyche in conjunction with physical training must be addressed. The return on investment proves that traditional ideals must be updated to reflect modern, open-minded and pragmatic approaches. Additionally, it does not cost anything. The practice consists of encouraging Soldiers to maintain “a positive mindset, focusing on good form and staying consistent throughout.”

The Sport Psychology for the Soldier Athlete “weaves cognitive behavioral principles of goal setting, mental imagery, positive self-talk and heart rate control into the daily military routine,” a concept already being utilized by elite athletes. The resulting effects to changes in training are APFT score improvement. Additionally, participants reported that the cognitive skills are useful for everyday life in general not just for military training requirements.

The overall effect of addressing mental health to affect physical performance can ultimately address the military’s readiness to dominate, sustain supremacy and combat effectiveness.

References

Meyer, Vanessa M. February 2018. Sport Psychology for the Soldier Athlete: A Paradigm Shift https://academic.oup.com/milmed/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/milmed/usx087/4840547

Using Psychology to Increase ReadinessFrom Our Partners at Performance Triad

Building Your Protective Factors: PsychologicalSmiling can have psychological and physical health benefits such as boosting your mood and lowering your blood pressure. Visual cues, like a photo of your favorite person or reading a joke can make you laugh out loud. Try the one below and share it with others. It can positively affect your health and happiness!

Q: What do you call a Soldier who has experienced mustard gas or pepper spray?

A: A seasoned veteran!

Protective factors are skills, strengths and resources that help Soldiers deal effectively with unexpected events. These protective actions and attitudes renew energy and reinforce commitment to taking care of oneself and others in a culture of trust. The five dimensions of Personal Readiness are Physical, Psychological, Social, Spiritual, and Family Preparedness.


R2COMMUNITYLINK


Summer 2018

WRAIR Tests Delivery Strategy for New Battlefield Stress InterventionFrom Our Partners at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) Research Transition Office

What can a team do if a Soldier is overwhelmed and stops functioning in the middle of operations? A new intervention, called iCOVER, gives battle buddies a tool to help get their teammate quickly back on track. The Research Transition Office (RTO) of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) adapted iCOVER from an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) program rolled out this past year.

iCOVER is a six-step approach for addressing an acute stress reaction at the point of injury. The primary indicator of an acute stress reaction is functional collapse—the Soldier is unable to fulfill his duties and support the mission. Reports from the IDF suggest that these buddy-delivered steps are effective in restoring a Soldier’s fighting capabilities, and in March 2018, iCOVER was taught in the U.S. for the first time as part of the Team OverMatch study.

Team OverMatch, formerly known as Squad OverMatch, offers a complex training platform designed to advance a range of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) skills. This integrated training approach teaches knowledge and skills in advanced situational awareness, resilience and performance enhancement, TC3, team development, and integrated after action review. RTO is working with the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) and the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation to assess the best way to train the iCOVER protocol as part of the Team OverMatch study. The study examines the impact of iCOVER, taught using in-class and computer-based practice, on performance in virtual and live training scenarios at the McKenna military operations in urban terrain site on Fort Benning.

Fort Benning R2 Performance Experts conducted the training in iCOVER as well as Resilience and Performance Enhancement. Besides creating the training modules and providing train-the-trainer support for the R2 Performance Experts, RTO will analyze study data and use the results to develop recommendations for future training delivery.

A Soldier applies the second step (“Connect”) of the iCOVER intervention on a buddy affected by an acute stress response (simulated). U.S. Army Photo by WRAIR - RTO

Not In My Squad (NIMS)Not in My Squad (NIMS) training is now available through all 26 R2 Performance Centers. NIMS was developed by the Sergeant Major of the Army in 2015 as a grassroots initiative focused on building mutual trust and cohesion at the squad and team level. The workshops emphasize the need for Soldiers to always take responsibility for their own behavior, exhibit Army professionalism, and uphold the Army ethic and both on and off duty. Because squad leaders are a unit’s most influential models of Army Profession and Ethic, their participation in these workshops can help them discover ways to create and expand positive unit environments and learn best practices from each other.


R2COMMUNITYLINK


Summer 2018

Help yourself with energy management Focus on the tasks over which you have control and make sure to schedule time for recovery after the move.1

2345

Strengthen Yourself for PCS

Say, ‘til we meet again In the Army we never say goodbye but see you next time.

Refill your emotional piggy bank Make time to do something special with friends and loved ones before your Permanent Change of Station.

Explore the new neighborhood - virtually! Get everyone excited about the move by planning three things to do as soon as you get to your new home.

Know the rules about Permissive Temporary Duty (PTDY) Think and plan ahead to make the most out of your PTDY and leave.


Questions or Comments?Contact R2 Public Affairs at [email protected]

Follow us @USArmyR2

R2COMMUNITYLINK


Summer 2018

Brain Teaser

Which way is the bus going?

Answer on page 4.

Mental GameSay the color of the words below.

RED ORANGE YELLOWGREEN BLUE PURPLE

mailto:usarmy.pentagon.hqda-dcs-g-1.list.r2pao%40mail.mil?subject=

https://www.youtube.com/USArmyR2/

https://www.facebook.com/USArmyR2/

https://twitter.com/USArmyR2/


r2communitylink - DVIDS

Documents

Transcript of r2communitylink - DVIDS