BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - The soldiers of the 77th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion are logisticians who find themselves on the front lines of Afghanistan. This is where the Army's Master Resiliency Program plays an imperative role in their daily lives.
Task Force Lifeliner's 77th CSSB established a resiliency center to make their logisticians stronger as they conduct a historical sustainment and retrograde support mission in Afghanistan. The center is a place for soldiers to work through their challenges; whether it is through physical fitness, reading a book, playing ping pong to talking with a specialist who can provide feedback on challenges a soldier may encounter.
The new center was appropriately titled the Staff Sergeant Randall Lane Resiliency Center dedicated to the memory of Staff Sgt. Randall R. Lane, formerly from Neoga, Ill., who died Sept. 13, 2013, while serving with the Indiana Army National Guard in Kabul, Afghanistan.
"This represents everything that he would represent," expressed a close friend Staff Sgt. Brandon Wilcher, from Indianapolis, Ind.
Task Force Lifeliner's commander, Col. Charles R. Hamilton, reiterated how meaningful and important Randall and now the center is to the soldiers.
"This resiliency center is really indicative of the man, and character and NCO (noncommissioned officer) that he is and was," said Hamilton from Chantilly, Va.
He continued to explain that Randall was that one soldier within the unit that everybody went back to at the end of the unit's CET (convoy escort team) missions.
Hamilton emphasized, "He (Randall) told jokes, he got everybody motivated... so to have a resiliency center named after him, that's just perfect."
The resiliency center is made up of two metal 20-foot shipping containers and two large tents These structures includes a chaplain's office, a relaxation room with a variety of movies, a multiuse room for Master Resilience Training, ping pong tables, reading materials and a physical fitness center.
"Our goal is to provide workshops, training and wellness retreats to enhance the well being of all Soldiers while coping with the rigors of being deployed," said Master Sgt. Jose E. Buttervendrell, master resiliency trainer with the 77th CSSB.
Task Force Lifeliner's brigade master resiliency trainer, Sgt. 1st Class Ryan O. Bumpers, from Jackson, Ala., explained in further detail the importance of this facility and how it aligns with the five dimensions of strength: emotional, social, spiritual, family and physical.
"As soldiers deploy to a hostile environment, they encounter obstacles on a daily basis that produce anxiety, anger and or other strong emotions that hinder judgment and interfere with the ability to perform under adverse conditions," explained Bumpers. "The resiliency term 'Bounce Back' describes a mental tool used by the Army to help soldiers get 'back in the game' and focus on the task at hand. The Army's resiliency program teaches us to bounce back from adversity instead of breaking like an egg."
The 77th CSSB is the muscle movement of the retrograde and sustainment of soldiers in Regional Command - East and Capital in Afghanistan.
"Soldiers from the 77th CSSB spend more time on the road, exposed to more dangers than the average logistician," explained Buttervendrell, from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. "The resiliency center helps them find the tools to help them cope with stress, anxiety, depression and other factors that affect their well-being. This facility helps our troops to focus and continue onward with their mission."
Social Sharing