RICHMOND, Virginia –
A long-established initiative by the military services, resiliency training was offered for the first time at Defense Logistics Agency to Aviation employees in two, one-hour sessions at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, Dec. 16.
During the training, resiliency was defined as the ability to withstand, recover and grow in the face of stressors and changing demands. This event introduces the resiliency concept and the resiliency tools available, including mental, physical, social, and spiritual training.
Facilitating the training was Aviation Customer Operations Directorate’s Air Force Master Sgt. Shanon Johnson, material management career broadener; Supplier Operations Directorate's Tech. Sgt Janet Pelayo, logistics career broadener; and from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Senior Master Sgt. Ellwood Tegtmeier.
DLA Aviation Chief of Staff Steve Kinskie gave opening remarks, noting the training is especially fitting as we go into the holiday season. The agency highly values the well-being of employees and is concerned the holidays will be difficult for some. Johnson explaining the importance of the training for DLA employees and noted DLA is a world leader in logistics. In order to maintain that stature, he said, it’s important for DLA to be resilient, grow with industry and to adapt to changing demands from DoD.
The presentation defined resiliency as an act of persevering, recovering, and growing during continuous change and stressors in life. Practicing resilience allows us to balance, overcome and grow from life’s struggles, failures and roadblocks.
Johnson said the training is important to employees, because no matter how successful we are, life is going to throw a punch, and this training will help employees develop techniques to deal with those life pressures.
Tegtmeier said that although resiliency is something Aviation employees practice every day, this training will help employees make better choices and help others. He said by practicing these skills, employees can move out of a fixed mindset in handling issues into a growth mindset, where they will be learning from life experiences and not be stagnated by events that will happen.
In a Dec. 14 guest blog, “DLA Employee Assistance Program Can Help Cope With Holiday Stress,” poBrad Bunn, director of DLA Human Resources stated that dealing with stress and adversity in healthy and productive ways is really the cornerstone of what we mean by “Resiliency,” and DLA Director Lt. Gen. Andy Busch has committed to helping the DLA workforce strengthen its resiliency in the face of personal and professional stressors--not only because it’s the right thing to do for our people, but also because a more resilient workforce is more engaged, productive, and high performing.
All Aviation employees will be offered Resiliency Training in fiscal 2016. Topics for upcoming training will include: action, awareness, and acceptance. The team is looking for motivated and passionate individuals to facilitate training sessions.