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Commentary: Deployments provide Airmen opportunities to focus

  • Published
  • By Maj. Jacob Rosser
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Safety
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The "Fit to Fight" mantra has grown in popularity with Air Force leaders over the past decade as operations against terrorists continue. The goal is for all Airmen to be prepared to deploy and conduct wartime operations. This is most often associated with physical fitness, but it can also include mental and spiritual preparation as well.

Due to home station operations tempos remaining at very high levels despite manning and resource limitations, deployments can be, for many Airmen, a job "stress relief."
Deployments often mean a more predictable daily schedule, fewer interruptions and less additional duties that are not a part of your primary job. Ironically, deployments can actually represent an ideal opportunity to get fit for the fight of the daily grind that everyone encounters at home station.

The Rock creates such an environment for Airmen. There are opportunities, if a person chooses, to improve in all three areas: physically, mentally and spiritually. The major hurdle each person must overcome is to decide whether or not to merely survive deployment or embrace the opportunity to improve.

Probably the most common self-improvement initiative shared by nearly all Airmen is physical fitness. The deployment lifestyle is especially suited for this, though it means choosing to bypass the desert bar more often than not. The Rock offers outstanding fitness facilities, including the Fitness Center Annex and a 25-meter pool. These offer great opportunities to continue workout programs you are familiar with or try something new with the help of trained instructors and supportive wingmen. The key is to commit to it and stick with it.

Mental fitness improvements include both professional education and personal development. Fitness in this area can be developed through organized studies, professional military education or college classes, and professional development organizations such as the Top 3 or the Rising 4. If these do not suit you, pick an area of interest and commit to learning more about it through self-study. The bottom line is that none of us should ever stop learning. There are many resources available on The Rock to encourage mental growth.

Finally, no one is truly an army of one. We all need support -- period! Whether it is developing your "religious" muscles or increasing your own support network, the chapel has programs for personal and group development. One of the most overlooked areas of fitness, spiritual fitness may be the most critical. Without inner strength and peace, no amount of mental or physical fitness will be enough to counteract the stresses and strains of this world.

We owe our families the best we have to offer. The military as a whole is struggling with the reality of wartime operations with no end in sight. Individual members and their families are under a great deal of stress regarding how to maintain "normalcy" under these conditions. All-around fitness is vital. Taking advantage of opportunities available in the AOR, where you have fewer distractions, will improve your chances of winning this battle -- maybe the most critical one each of us faces.

Use your deployment time to enhance your physical, mental and spiritual readiness. You'll be a better Airman for it.