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Wingman Days time to refocus

  • Published
  • By Desert Eagle staff
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  In an effort to emphasize a culture of responsible choices and the need for Airmen to watch out for each other, Air Force leadership developed the concept of Wingman Day. The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing is expanding the program to a three-day event, to be held Aug. 19 to 21.

"The Air Force was built around the Wingman culture of watching out for each other," said 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Command Chief David Green. "This time we set aside is designed to focus on taking care of all Airmen, in the air and on the ground, to reduce loss of life, reduce injuries, and help everyone make better choices about professional and personal conduct. The essence of the Wingman culture is our core values: integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do."

Orchestrating the activities for Wingman Days is Master Sgt. Lisa Nelson, who echoed Chief Green's vision.

"Considering our high ops tempo and varied missions, I think the intent behind this Wingman Day is to ensure we're taking care of our Airmen, mentally, emotionally and physically," Sergeant Nelson said.

"Wingman Days are normally scheduled in the middle of a rotation, right when we need it the most; it's an opportunity to digress and re-motivate ourselves," she said.

Even after this brief respite from the rigors of the mission, Chief Green said the Wingman concept is much bigger than a once-a-year event.

"It anchors our Airmen and reminds us that the Wingman culture is a 24/7, 365 days-a-year mindset. It gives squadron and flight-level leadership a chance to discuss the 4 "S" (Safety, Stress Mitigation, Sexual Assault and Suicide Prevention) practices and the importance of responsible decisions, both on and off duty," the chief said.

"It offers us a chance to renew relationships with Airmen at every level, and allows Airmen to build relationships with their supervisors. Commanders are the key to a successful Wingman culture, as they must interweave the "Mission First, People Always" mentality into their command philosophy. Leaders at every level must be keenly aware that our vast technology is worthless if we don't protect our most valuable resource, the human weapon system."

Airmen should contact their group or squadron Wingman Week POCs for more information about unit and wing-scheduled activities.