Resiliency and confidence: Grissom’s Chaplain offers pre-deployment class

  • Published
  • By By Staff Sgt. Jami K. Lancette
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. --  Stress and pressures can happen to anyone, especially to Airmen and their families during times of deployment. Learning the skills to handle obstacles with confidence can make those transitions easier.

Chaplain (Maj.) Alex Jack, 434th Air Refueling Wing chaplain from Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana, will host a Pre-Deployment Relationship Sustainment Skills class in building 431 in the chapel Sept. 9, 2018 at 1 p.m.

“Years ago when I was on active duty a couple of chaplains that I worked with developed a whole pre-deployment retreat weekend for families,” said Jack. “As part of that they put together three sessions on developing relationship sustainment.

“I have those materials, and I’m condensing the material down to a one-hour session,” he added.

The class is aimed to strengthen Reserve Citizen Airmen and their significant others with the end goal to leave them more confident than before.

“Our goal is to bolster the support we are giving our Airmen and their families for any deployments that may come up,” said Jack. “It focuses on three aspects, and it’s really more of a big picture, not so much about giving them tips on how to communicate [via online tools] or other things; it’s more than that.

“It was developed with the idea of ‘C-3’ which is command, control and communication,” he added.

Jack explains their ‘C-3” concept, which is focused not only on targeting inward emotional support, but also the outward process of controlling ones behaviors and actions.

“First we look at the command in their lives, meaning do they have a shared value system, faith or whatever it may be so that their relationship is stronger and more on the same page as each other,” said Jack. “Second we talk about control, which takes a look at our personal behaviors and how they are self-disciplining themselves.

“And lastly, the communication piece where we discuss the five love languages,” added Jack.

Chaplain Jack and his team want to provide this training because they have seen relationship issues are becoming more common.

“We’ve identified through our community action team one of the key issues we most often deal with within our helping agencies is relationship issues,” said Jack. “We’re going to be putting together our community action plan to deal with these common issues.

“We recognize that this is a regular issue that we deal with, and we are being proactive in that area,” said Jack.

Since the class will follow Grissom’s family day, Chaplin Jack knows that many families might have children accompany them.

“We’re offering this class, and we want both couples as well as their children to be able to attend their own activity, therefore we’re working with Airman and Family Readiness to figure out what kind of children’s activity we can also have,” he said. ”Activities will be in Bldg. 431, the class will be in the chapel and the kids activities will be in the training room.”

Chaplain Jack and his team hope that at the end of the day couples will leave the room better equipped and comfortable enough to face the tough road ahead of them, and beat any challenges that they might face.

“The one big take away that I hope for folks to have is they feel more confident they have what they need to not only survive but thrive through deployments with the stresses that can come with their relationships,” said Jack. “I hope that will be more capable of overcoming any hindrances,” he said.

To reach the chaplain’s office, call them at 765-688-4028 or visit them in bldg. 431. For emergencies and after hours contact command post at 765-688-2124.

Worship services are provided on Sunday during primary UTA weekends.

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. The Citizen Airmen from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.

Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.