Spangdahlem hosts its first RTA course Published July 10, 2012 By Master Sgt. Matthew Hose 726th Air Mobility Squadron SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The 726th Air Mobility Squadron held a resiliency trainer assistance course for the first time here June 26 - 29. "Develop and Care for our Airmen and Families" echo's one of the Air Force's priorities by expanding the Comprehensive Airman Fitness initiative through the master resilience trainer course. Though the Army was the driving force behind the MRT course, Air Mobility Command became one of two commands in the Air Force to champion this new initiative. AMC's resiliency initiative is structured to prepare Airmen and their families for adverse events before they occur. The training adopts components from University of Pennsylvania's Positive Psychology Center and the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program. The 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, to which the 726th AMS reports, taught the RTA class that consisted of six students who embraced three educational days followed by a day of teaching practicum to build students' confidence. During the first three days, students learned attributes of resiliency and how to overcome challenges and adversities. "As a brand new lieutenant, this course has helped me grow as a leader and provided me with a plethora of skills and tools to use when helping my Airmen," said 2nd Lt. Victoria Villa, RTA student. "I encourage all to seek out this course." Student's resiliency was tested through a fitness challenge that incorporated teamwork, mental agility, energy management and physical endurance. Students met up at the squadron gym to compete on an obstacle course that required them to perform activities as an individual and as a team. What they thought to be simple -- like making a free throw -- actually required more attention especially after performing push-ups, sit-ups and a bear crawl. Staff Sgt. John Oliver, RTA student said, "Great teamwork, great challenge ... pure fun." "Resilience is a team event," added Master Sgt. Shane Reed, RTA student. After the fitness challenge, the students went back to work in the classroom where it was their turn to teach a section of resiliency. "This course provides the critical skills to become a better Airman and family member," said Master Sgt. Dave Tackett, RTA student. Participants learned the core competencies that contribute to resilience: self-awareness, self-regulation, optimism, mental agility, strengths of character and connection. There are seven skills participants learn through the course: activating events, thoughts and consequence; avoid thinking traps; detect icebergs; energy management; problem solving; put it in perspective; and real-rime-resilience. All built resilience by targeting one or more core competency, in addition to developing Airmen's ability to understand their thoughts, emotions and behaviors. "Every Airman has what it takes to remain strong in the face of adversity," Reed said. "It just takes resilience." In addition, students practiced the technique of "Hunt the Good Stuff" twice a day during the course to build optimism, positive emotion -- such as gratitude -- and counteract negativity bias. "This course has you take a look in the mirror and see that the solutions to your problems can be found within you," Tackett explained. Resilience trainer assistants will go on to train an eight-hour resilience course within their respective units, brief at the base's first term airman center and assist MRTs during RTA courses. "This was the most beneficial class I have attended," said Tech. Sgt. Angela Tate-Amos, RTA student. "Resilience training will help me become a better friend, spouse, supervisor and leader." Through the words of Col. Kip Turain, 521st AMOW commander, "Be a producer, not just a consumer." The tenant wing at Ramstein Air Base continues to extend this opportunity to the host wing and partners within the Kaiserslautern Military Community as they put into practice AMC Commander Gen. Ray Johns' statement, "Each of us has a flame inside of us that, when made stronger, can help us withstand life's storms."