Warrior Resiliency Center staff offers resiliency services, confidentiality

By U.S. ArmyMarch 10, 2016

With resiliency being a big key to success in today's military, leaders of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), on Feb. 15 opened the Warrior Resiliency Center on Fort Drum to 1st BCT Soldiers and Family Members.

"Our Warrior Resiliency Center is set up to benefit all the Soldiers, all the Family Members for 1st Brigade," said Chaplain (Maj.) Stan Smith, 1st BCT chaplain. "The intent is to basically have a one-stop shop for all resources, all sections across the staff that provide resiliency type services for Soldiers and Families."

The WRC offers Military and Family Life Counseling, Sexual Harassment / Assault Response and Prevention, Unit Ministry Team and Equal Opportunity services all in one centralized location. The WRC staff plans to add Master Resiliency Training to the list of services in the near future.

"The hope is that, say a Soldier needs to come in and speak to somebody -- one of those resources -- they can do so without having to sign in, and so their anonymity is protected a little bit more," Smith said.

Instead of having these services in separate locations, the consolidation gives Soldiers and Families wishing to use them a more confidential atmosphere.

"It definitely makes the Soldiers feel more comfortable utilizing the services in this building, (as) opposed to having the services spread out throughout the brigade footprint where everyone sees exactly what service the person is using," said Staff Sgt. Jay-R Strawder, a sexual assault response coordinator and SHARP representative with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st BCT.

"Since we have (all of the resiliency services) in here, nobody would know exactly who the Soldier or Family Member would be coming into this building to talk to if they were seen walking into this building," Strawder said. "With us all being in one centralized location and with us being separate from everybody else, it I think it gives the Soldiers a better opportunity to come and talk to us without the fear of being judged."

Not only is the WRC a one-stop shop for resiliency services, it is set up to double as a place where family readiness groups throughout the BCT can host their meetings.

"We have a small classroom … that will seat approximately 20 students, so it's also a great location for small groups like that," Smith said.

The WRC is located in Bldg. 10526 on South Riva Ridge Loop in the Magrath Gym overflow parking lot across the street from the 1st BCT headquarters building.

"It's being utilized now on a daily basis, and I can say it's being used for all the resources," Smith said. "What I think we're seeing already is that it's broadening the scope of those resources and makes it more accessible to everyone.

"It's a great asset, and we're going to continue to work to make it better," he added. "We plan on making it a more receptive place and environment for all those wishing to utilize the offered services."