Fort Detrick Emphasizes Importance of Resilience Training

By Mr. Nicholas Minecci (IMCOM)December 12, 2014

Fort Detrick Emphasizes Importance of Resilience Training
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Ready and Resilience Program, also known as the R2C, is an Army campaign designed to improve the readiness and resilience of the Total Army, Soldiers, Army civilians and families.

"R2C builds on the mental, physical, emotional, behavioral and spiritual resilience in our Army to enhance their ability to manage the challenges of our profession," said Lt. Col. Brian Zarchin, special assistant to the Garrison Commander.

"At the heart of this initiative is a focus on building personal resilience. This will serve as an enabler to achieving enhanced performance; which directly links to the increased readiness of the individual, their unit and the Army," said Zarchin.

Zarchin said R2C will provide education about measures that encourage self-awareness, deter high-risk behaviors, and support healthy alternatives that produce positive outcomes, as well as developing improved methods for leaders and commanders to aid them in better identifying "at risk" and "high-risk" Soldiers, enabling early intervention.

In accordance with Department of the Army directives, Fort Detrick is in the process of standing up a Resilience Program with an assigned program manager who is a trained Master Resilience Trainer. On Jan. 14-15 Fort Detrick will be running new mandatory 16-hour resilience training for all incoming Soldiers assigned or attached to Fort Detrick. Units are expected to ensure all Soldiers new to Fort Detrick attend this training. DA Civilians and Soldiers needing to catch up on mandatory annual resilience training are invited to attend as well, and the initial point of contact for this training is Sgt. 1st Class Philip Lucksavage," said Zarchin.

"The bottom line is that the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Lein and Fort Detrick Garrison Commander, Col. Middlecamp, want resilient individuals that are better able to bounce back and overcome adversity, providing their best, not only to the Army, but their families and themselves,' said Zarchin.