New AFRC Mobile App Focuses to Improve Resiliency among Airmen

by Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs Office

10/30/2012 - Robins Air Force Base, Ga. -- As part of the Wingman Toolkit outreach effort, the Air Force Reserve Command launched a mobile app on October 30 that gives Airmen the tools necessary to bring balance to their busy, stressful lives.

The Wingman Toolkit provides Airman and families with access to useful information and resources to help them overcome stress and strengthen their resilience to life's challenges. Its primary purpose is to connect Airmen and their families with in-depth knowledge of the Four Pillars of Comprehensive Airman Fitness, which focuses on physical, mental, social and spiritual health.

Comprehensive Airman Fitness was designed to teach Airmen how to build resiliency by approaching life's challenges with a positive attitude; increasing strength and endurance through physical activity; developing and maintaining personal friendships; and strengthening a set of principles and values that sustain an individual's sense of well-being and purpose.

Lt Col David F. Ubelhor, chief mental health consultant to the AFRC Command Surgeon, said the app is part of a proactive initiative to improve resiliency among Airmen, in a broader effort to help people strive for wellness and avoid emotional crisis.

"Using the tips found in each pillar will help Airmen be better prepared to get themselves and others to safer, healthier places in life," Ubelhor said. "There are also reminders about the suicide-intervention method to Ask, Care and Escort (ACE) and quick access to the 24-hour crisis line. The first responsibility of any Wingman is to seek help when necessary."

The Wingman Toolkit mobile app is an extension of the Wingman Toolkit website. The site, originally developed in 2010, functions as an all-encompassing initiative to make better Wingmen, help Airmen build resilience, and remind people about suicide prevention. The information found on the Wingman Toolkit is tailored to the specific needs of Air Force Reserve Airmen and their families but is easily accessible by any Airman.

For more information visit AFRC.WingmanToolkit.org or www.facebook.com/AFRCWingmanToolkit.