Resilience is a skill that is necessary as a military service member, no matter what branch of service, rank, or job title. The better the member is with maintaining their resilience, the healthier they will be mentally, physically, and emotionally when it comes to coping with the everyday stressors of a job in the U.S. armed forces. The chaplain corps from the 110th Attack Wing, Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, Mich., assist every year with the largest National Guard training exercise, Northern Strike, to provide council and teach participants how to sharpen their resiliency skills as well as lend an ear to those struggling.

"My job is to make sure that the service members here have the things that they need to remain on top of their game," said Maj. Courtland Pitt, chaplain for the 110 ATKW. "We operate by trying to engage with the service members as much as possible so that we are available and are out meeting the people and learning their needs."

According to the Air Force, being holistically healthy is the key to being fit to fight.

"When people are operating to the full capacity within the other health pillars of the Air Force, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, then you're probably going to do your job better and be a better wingman," said Tech. Sgt. John J. Slocum, Religious Affairs Specialist (RAS) from the 110 ATKW.

The 110 ATKW chaplain corps covers Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in their service area, which helps them make connections during exercises like Northern Strike 18.

Although they are working hard to get service people the care that they need, the RST also has fun doing their jobs.

"The most rewarding part of my job is meeting the people, learning about what they do, where they come from, their units, their skill and their gifts," said Pitt. "I enjoy making sure they understand how valuable they are and just care for them."

For more on Northern Strike see 

Exercise Northern Strike 2018 underway in Michigan, US

Stabenow, head of Latvian military tour Northern Strike exercises

Executive Director  Notes

   Two items of note for this week's column: The Military Chaplain Journal is about to be published, and the service chiefs have provided the names of each service's Distinguished Service Award recipient.

 

   We are in the final preparation stages for our next copy of the Military Chaplain, which is now the only military and federal chaplaincy journal that is published as each of the services no longer publish their own journals. I recall reading them in seminary at Seabury-Western Theological Seminar in Evanston, and was stunned to find out all the services had ceased publication of their journals. This leaves MCA as the only organization that has a published journal. One of the reasons for the delay was in getting articles published that tied into the theme of the journal. Now that we are announcing the theme of each edition, this should mitigate that problem over time.

 

   Secondly, we now have received the names of nominees for the distinguished chaplains for each of the services. Final selections will be approved and notifications will take place this week. As soon as all of the notifications are completed, the recipients' names will be published in an upcoming Newsgram. Each Distinguished Service award will be presented at our National Institute Dinner on Tuesday, 6 November at the Sheraton Pentagon City, Arlington, VA, located immediately adjacent to the Air Force Memorial. It will be a distinct honor to have these outanding chaplains in our midst and be able to spend time with them. We are very close to finalizing our speakers and registration, and will let you know as soon as that happens.

   

Continue to enjoy these final days of meteorological summer (June, July and August) as many of us start the race back to school for our kids, and in some instances, for ourselves!

 

   Always feel free to send any suggestions for Newsgram or Journal articles to us at [email protected]. As a professional body we cannot continue to do the work we do without your input and assistance. Thank you for all that you do in further advancing the role of professional chaplaincy.