Kadena Leadership Pathways resiliency program begins April 27

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Maeson L. Elleman
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  The Kadena Leadership Pathways resiliency program here, linked by all helping agencies on base including the chapels, mental health and Airman and Family Readiness Center, is set to unveil a new plan April 27 for augmenting Airmen's resiliency.

The program will promote a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to comprehensive mental fitness by setting up an incentive plan for those who attend.

"We're building an incentive program so that if you go to so many classes, you can get recognition at the squadron level, if you go to so many more, the group level, and if you go to a lot of them, then you can get recognition at the wing level," said Maj. Kathleen Crimmins, 18th Medical Operations Squadron's Mental Health flight commander. "These are the type of classes that are going to help teach people skills in how to be resilient - stress management, parenting classes, mentoring and how to be a supervisor."

The new plan is based on the four pillars of fitness - mental, social, physical and spiritual - and can be used to bolster wingman, leadership and everyday life skills through a variety of different programs.

However, unlike numerous other military programs, it will target not only junior enlisted, active-duty airmen, but Airmen of all ranks, as well as Department of Defense civilian employees, their spouses and even their children.

"This isn't just for the active-duty people," said Shirley Bratton, AFRC chief and Community Action Information Board executive director. "This is for spouses; this is for civilians and for kids."

"It doesn't make sense for us to just focus on just a small part of the population, because then we're only focusing on a part of the people who might be having the difficulty, and the Community Needs Assessment looked at active duty and their spouses," said Crimmins.

With new courses and programs often come logos or symbols. That's why Crimmins said a logo-making contest has been implemented.

The winner for the contest, whether military, civilian or spouse, will receive prizes from the program including coupons or gift certificates at certain facilities on base.

Anyone who would like to participate in the contest simply has to turn in their drawn or designed symbol or logo to the Health and Wellness Center customer service desk along with the designer's name and phone number or e-mail address.

Crimmins said the program will take designs for the next four weeks, and the announcement for the winner will be in the next six weeks to allow for judging.

Crimmins said incentives for the program as well as a course catalog have been approved, and the program itself will kick off April 27.

For more information on KLP, contact Mental Health, the AFRC or a chaplain.