SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The 52nd Fighter Wing hosted a Master Resiliency Training Course for members from across U.S. Air Forces in Europe–Air Forces Africa at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, March 11-15, 2019.
MRTC is a train-the-trainer course and instructs Airmen how to effectively teach other Airmen to be resilient in the four domains of Comprehensive Airman Fitness–mental, physical, social and spiritual.
Most members of the training were from Spangdahlem AB, Ramstein AB, Germany, Incirlik AB, Turkey, and Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. They were taught by five contracted instructors, two of whom were students of the first resiliency training course offered by the military in 2013. Together, the instructors had nearly 50 years of combined resiliency training experience to offer to the course attendees.
“The group we are training are mid-level to senior leadership from different units across USAFE who are Resiliency Training Assistants and here to become certified Master Resiliency Trainers,” said Christopher Poe, MRTC instructor. “The trainers can then go back and support the people who they can immediately influence by teaching them the skills to build resilient Airmen.”
Normally, MRTC is taught by the Air University at Force Support Professional Development School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. However, to train a large number of Airmen at once, installations can request to host the course and a mobile training team will travel to the location.
“One unique benefit of having the training at Spangdahlem AB is the ability to send our spouse RTAs to the class to be trained as MRTs,” said Jeanne Morrow, 52nd Fighter Wing community support coordinator. “Since they cannot go on temporary duty to Maxwell AFB, this is an ideal opportunity for us to engage our spouses in this training.”
Approximately five of the 30 participants in the course were spouse RTAs looking to further their resiliency education.
Poe said the newly certified MRTs will possess more knowledge on how to teach resiliency and influence their peers back at their base and in the community during events such as wing and squadron resiliency days. In addition, they also have the ability to train members to become RTAs, who are then eligible to attend MRTC.
“I am looking forward to becoming an MRT, not only to train other RTA’s but to empower younger Airmen with skills they can use on a daily basis,” said TSgt. Kinesha Greenlee, 52nd Fighter Wing equal opportunity specialist and MRTC participant. “These skills will help to better themselves in their personal and professional relationships. There is no greater feeling than that.”
Poe said the Air Force’s goal is to have an MRT in every squadron. He said to build and embed resiliency as a culture it requires wing and squadron leadership to hold trainings such as this to equip Airmen for what they may face.
“You wouldn’t send your troops out to run a marathon without training them, even though you may be able to fix the issues they have along the way,” Poe said. “You train them to go run the marathon so they’re more prepared for it.”