Wingman Toolkit: tools to build healthy, balanced lifestyles

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jannelle Dickey
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. - --  As military members, Airmen wear multiple hats and deal with challenges as they try to balance their personal and professional lives. The Wingman Toolkit can provide a way to help anyone resolve any challenges they may come across.

The Wingman Toolkit is an Air Force Reserve initiative to empower Airmen and their families to sustain healthy, balanced lifestyles using the four pillars of Comprehensive Airman Fitness. Although, tailored for Reservists, the toolkit expanded to total force to include active duty, civilians, spouses and dependents.

"The tools available can be used to build individual resilience, help to combat suicides and all issues we fight on a daily basis," said Jeff Maiette, 2nd Bomb Wing community support coordinator and head of Integrated Delivery Systems.

The one-stop shop provides many resources in the form of articles, presentations, and videos on physical, mental, social and spiritual fitness.  Airmen of all ranks can utilize the toolkit to educate themselves.

"It's a good place for the member to go to in order to realize they are not alone, it's OK to talk about it and get comfortable about reaching out for help," said Maj. Beth Hart, 307th Bomb Wing executive officer. "It's also a starting point to help educate those who are in supervisory positions with a good base of understanding of what to do if a certain situation were to happen to their Airmen."

The resources on this website will help build a foundation to change our focus from maintenance to prevention Maiette said.  

"After an incident happens we send them to a specific helping agency," he continued. "We need to change our focus and intervene before they reach that point."

The Wingman Toolkit is a great starting point to answer questions and understand which agencies can help with certain situations.

"Everyone learns differently. Some want information pushed and other want to pull it," said Maiette.  "We have a lot of resources that are underutilized and people aren't aware of what is out there; the toolkit will help to increase awareness." 

The Wingman Toolkit is also available for iPhone and Android visit http://afrc.wingmantoolkit.org/ for more information.