Chaplain conducts Wise Choice/Wise Living resilience training at BAF

By SFC Lasonya J. Johnson (1Cavalry Division Resolute Support Brigade)November 2, 2016

Chaplain conducts Wise Choice Wise Living resilience training at BAF
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Hillary Klug, legal officer, 1st Cavalry Division Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade (1CD RSSB), spoke to soldiers about their Visions and Nature of their goals during the Wise Choice Wise Living Seminar at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Octob... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Chaplain conducts Wise Choice Wise Living resilience training at BAF
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Hillary Klug, legal officer, 1st Cavalry Division Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade (1CD RSSB), spoke to soldiers during a Wise Choice Wise Living Seminar at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, October 28. Wise Choices Wise Living is both a Resili... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Chaplain conducts Wise Choice Wise Living resilience training at BAF
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Col. Douglas T. Downs, chaplain, 1st Cavalry Division Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade led the Wise Choices Wise Living Seminar at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, October 28. "Wise Choices Wise Living is designed to challenge soldiers to intent... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Chaplain conducts Wise Choice Wise Living resilience training at BAF
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sergeant First Class Tracey Brown, Support Operations (SPO) noncommissioned officer, discussed No Pain No Gain during the Wise Choices Wise Living Seminar at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, October 28. Wise Choices Wise Living is both a Resiliency trai... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan--Physical fitness is not the only hallmark of the U.S. Army -- resilience also ranks high in developing strong Soldiers, Army civilians and Families.

Resiliency is the ability to overcome challenges of all kinds--trauma, tragedy, personal crises, plain 'ole' life problems--and bounce back stronger, wiser, and more personally powerful.

More than 50 soldiers participated in Wise Choice/Wise Living Seminar led by Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Douglas T. Downs, chaplain, 1st Cavalry Division Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade (1CD RSSB), and members of the 1CD RSSB's Resiliency Team.

Wise Choices/Wise Living is both a Resiliency training class and a Moral Leadership training class with an objective to train and enable soldiers to make decisions and choices concerning their actions based on a simple criteria-- Is this wise based on my past experience, my current situation, or my future hopes, dreams and goals.

"Wise Choices/Wise Living is designed to challenge soldiers to intentionally cast a vision for the direction they wish their life to go and the legacy they wish to leave behind," said Downs. "It challenges participants to take responsibility for their lives in terms of the whole person both professionally and personally," Downs said.

Soldiers realize that they must make both short-term and long--term decisions to say no to short term gratifications in order to move forward towards the ultimate goals and vision they have for themselves.

"The seminar reminded me of how relevant it is to keep focus on my goals," said SPC Marisleidy Olazabal, Alpha Company, 230th Financial Management Support Detachment, Special Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division Resolute Support Brigade (1CD RSSB). "It puts a perspective on the tools we need to utilize in order to reach our goals," she concluded.

Olazabal is currently deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, but will be returning to Colorado, Springs, CO. in a few weeks. She said the training helped her to understand that making certain sacrifices now can be beneficial in helping her reach her future goals as a soldier and civilian.

The topics of discussion during the Wise Choice/Wise Living Seminar were No pain No gain; Taking responsibility and Thinking straight; Threat to your vision; and The Nature of your goals.

"I would like to see soldiers walk away from this class with a sense of ownership and responsibility for their lives and to rise above the crowd and become full adult human beings who are capable of having vision, control and discipline," concluded the Chaplain.