Q/A: Resilience remains command priority

By Nancy Rasmussen, Public Affairs SpecialistAugust 14, 2014

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FORT RUCKER, Ala. (August 14, 2014) -- In response to growing Armywide concern for Soldier, civilian and Family resiliency, the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence launched its Ready and Resilient Campaign under the leadership of Public Health Command's Community Health Promotion Council a little more than a year ago.

Although the council is fairly new here, it has experienced success at other Army Centers of Excellence that have implemented its processes.

To explain the role CHPC plays, its composition and how it benefits Fort Rucker Soldiers, civilians and Families, Rebekah George, health promotion officer, responded to the following questions.

Q: What is the purpose of the CHPC?

A: Building and maintaining resiliency in our community is essential. The Army has learned this lesson from more than a decade of military conflict. In an effort to integrate resilience into the lives of Soldiers, Family members and civilians, the Army launched the Ready and Resilient Campaign a little more than a year ago with the goal of ensuring Soldiers are deployable and ready, as well as supported by strong Families and civilians. R2C aims to maintain Army readiness, and tailors prevention and response measures to promote physical, moral and mental fitness, emotional stability, personal growth, dignity and respect.

At the installation level, R2C is supported and promoted by the CHPC, which strives to evaluate the needs and concerns of the Fort Rucker community and develop targeted interventions to enhance the overall quality of life. CHPC ensures that there is a unity of effort in caring for our community and is fully dedicated to supporting the health and resiliency of our Soldiers, Family members, and civilians.

Q: What is its long-term goal?

A: Integrating R2C into the CHPC ensures Soldiers are deployable and ready, as well as supported by strong Families and civilians. The end state is the establishment of an enduring cultural change where Soldiers enter the Army strong and become stronger during their service.

Q: What need does CHPC fill?

A: CHPC is the single integrated effort that supports the health and resiliency of our Soldiers, Family members and civilians on the installation. No other agency or council ensures the strategic integration of R2C or provides a holistic approach to health promotion on the installation. It is the only mechanism that facilitates and shapes the standardization of programs and processes to ensure that resource utilization is focused on improving the resiliency of the Total Army.

Q: Who leads and participates in the CHPC?

A: CHPC is chaired by Maj. Gen. Michael Lundy, USAACE and Fort Rucker commanding general, and is facilitated by the health promotion officer. CHPC members are key stakeholders in the community and act as principal advisers to Lundy.

The Fort Rucker CHPC functions as an executive agency for Lundy and oversees a comprehensive approach to the health promotion programs on the installation. The health promotion programs include: physical, behavioral, spiritual, environmental and Family health. Lundy has personally chartered work groups to address each one of these components.

Consisting of subject matter experts, the work groups meet once a month to identify voids and overlaps in existing programs, discuss community needs and issues and coordinate interventions that target those issues. Ideas and interventions that come out of the work groups are taken directly to Lundy at quarterly meetings, where he provides guidance, feedback and approval.

Lundy determines CHPC priorities for Fort Rucker and the needs of the community. Also included in the agenda are interventions the work groups have developed to target areas of improvement.

Q: When does the CHPC meet?

A: CHPC meets quarterly. The next CHPC is Aug. 22, from 12:30-2 p.m. in the USAACE Headquarters Building Regimental Conference Room. CHPC is open to the public and community stakeholders. The first meeting for fiscal year 2015 is scheduled for Nov. 12.

A strategic plan is currently being developed for CHPC. It will be completed by the end of September and will outline the mission, vision, values statement, end state and goals. Also included will be the communication plan, which will outline how CHPC and R2C will be promoted throughout the community.

Q: Who staffs the CHPC and how can community members contact them?

A: As the health promotion officer, I serve on the commanding general's special staff and am responsible for ensuring the execution and management of CHPC. My phone number is 255-0529. CHPC is supported by the health promotion program assistant, Alexandra Rogers, who can be reached at 255-1150.

CHPC is co-chaired by Col. Robert Doerer, USAACE chief of staff; Col. Stuart McRae, garrison commander; and Col. Gary Wheeler, Lyster Army Health Clinic commander. The co-chairs provide direct guidance and feedback to the work groups on their initiatives and interventions before the quarterly meeting. Co-chairs also provide oversight and leadership to medical, garrison and tactical assets.

A key asset to the CHPC process is the R2C lead, Lt. Col. Chad Ward, deputy chief of staff. As R2C lead, Ward is the subject matter expert on coordinating all programs that support a ready and resilient community.

Related Links:

USAACE and Fort Rucker on Twitter

USAACE and Fort Rucker on Facebook

Fort Rucker, Ala.

Fort Rucker Community Health Promotion Council

U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence