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Wingman Day takes flight

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ryan Throneberry
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Air Force units on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst are set to host a Wingman Day Aug. 28.

The goal of the day is to foster unit cohesion and resiliency through the application of four comprehensive Airmen Fitness pillars: mental, social, physical and spiritual fitness.

"People are our most important asset," said 2nd Lt. Nick Masarone, an 87th Contracting Squadron contract specialist who serves as the 87th Mission Support Group main point of contact. "You have to take care of your people. I think sometimes we get so caught up in our busy daily routines that we may forget to ask one of our co-workers how they are doing that day. It is extremely important to get to know your people. Wingman Day allows us to take a step back from our daily operations and remind our coworkers they can truly rely on one another for any situation."

The four pillars are defined as:
Physical - Performing and excelling in physical activities that require aerobic fitness, endurance, strength, flexibility and body composition derived through exercise, nutrition and training.
Social - Developing and maintaining trusted, valued friendships that are personally fulfilling and foster good communication, including exchange of ideas, views and experiences.
Mental - Approaching life's challenges in a positive way by demonstrating self control, stamina and good character with choices and actions; seeking help and offering help.
Spiritual - Strengthening a set of beliefs, principles or values that sustain a person beyond family, institutional and societal sources of strength.

There is no official theme for this event, so it is at squadron leadership's discretion to decide how to spend the day.

"I told each squadron point of contact to focus on one or two pillars their squadron may be lacking," said Masarone. "For example, if your squadron does a great job with the social health pillar: pot lucks, bowling, group sports; and a great job with the physical health pillar: meeting fitness standards, regular exercise; but hasn't focused on the mental health pillar recently, pick activities which support that pillar."

This gives the squadron POCs the flexibility to tailor their agenda to most benefit their unit. The POCs were asked to challenge the status quo, hand-crafting events to bolster resiliency in their units.

"I am excited to see how each squadron uses this day to strengthen the level of resiliency within its members," said Chief Master Sgt. Louis Orrie, 305th Air Mobility Wing command chief. "This form of Wingman Day is much more potent because it lets each unit ask 'how can we improve ourselves?' instead of giving them a box to check."

Being a military member comes with stressors that may not be present in a civilian lifestyle. These added stressors make it a necessity to form a support system to help promote resiliency.

"Wingman day is important to me because it strengthens Airmen; the most important part of this force," said Airman Ashley Williams, 87th Civil Engineer Squadron operations management technician. "Learning how to recognize and react to the subtle hints that someone exhibits when they are distressed makes the force as a whole stronger. A strong wingman can make a real difference."