Commander’s council ready to raise resiliency awareness

By Jo Anita MileyApril 1, 2021

Commander’s council ready to raise resiliency awareness
Bryan Copeland serves as the community readiness and resilience integrator at Redstone Arsenal (Photo Credit: Eric Schultz ) VIEW ORIGINAL

When Garrison employee Bryan Copeland took on his role as the community readiness and resilience integrator for the installation in July 2020, he said he knew he’d be faced with a few challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he said he was up for the challenge.

The Commander’s Ready and Resilient Council is the Redstone senior commander’s strategic platform designed to articulate the focus, conditions and resources required to oversee the execution of the Army’s Ready and Resilient objectives.

In his role as the integrator, Copeland is responsible for facilitating the CR2C program. This involves coordinating, planning, organizing, and implementing comprehensive health promotion and well-being processes based on initiatives to enhance readiness and resilience for the total Army.

Before arriving at Redstone, Copeland worked as the chief of plans and operations at the Logistics Readiness Center at Camp Casey in Yongsan, South Korea. He also held positions as postmaster and risk reduction program manager in Yongsan following his retirement.

Much of the work that Copeland does is team driven. He said he is no stranger to leading teams and bringing people together. He retired as a master sergeant in 2014 after 29 years as a Soldier.

“It takes teamwork to be successful in any profession,” he said. “I enjoy that I can use the traits I’ve acquired in the military to perform the duties in my current position as the CR2I. Our team functions as the senior commander’s forum for the integration, implementation, synchronization, and assessment of all Ready and Resilient functions aimed at improving overall health, welfare and safety of Soldiers, civilians, family members and retirees.”

Copeland said the CR2C raises individual and community awareness and serves as the umbrella organization to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to health and wellness promotion. Under the direction of the senior commander, the team identifies and sets priorities for installation community health promotion and wellness programs, directs the synchronization and integration of installation programs and services; and identifies gaps, overlaps, issues and solutions that impact collective readiness.

“No two CR2Cs are the same because no two communities are the same,” Copeland said. “The senior commander chairs the CR2C at Redstone. The council is made up of Team Redstone leaders, Garrison and Fox Army Health Center service providers and subject matter experts who collaborate to effectively and efficiently promote community health and wellness in support of the overall health and resiliency in the Redstone Arsenal community.”

The three working groups – Family and Social Resiliency, Physical Health, and Behavioral Health and Spiritual Resiliency – are chaired by subject matter experts from tenant organizations. The WG chairs meet with members monthly to discuss initiatives and find innovative new ways to synergize and improve on their capabilities to support priorities that have been set by the senior commander.

Copeland also works closely with the Army Materiel Command’s health promotion project officer and CR2I personnel from other AMC subordinate commands to synchronize their efforts. He said the health promotion officer plays a huge rule in providing oversight and integrating CR2C initiatives into wellness programs to develop the organization’s ready and resilient workforce.

An important part of Copeland’s job is to update the senior commander about the program quarterly. The CR2C team provided Senior Commander Lt. Gen. Donnie Walker a CR2C update during a meeting Friday at the Army Materiel Command. Council members participated in the meeting virtually. This was Copeland’s first CR2C update to the senior commander since assuming his role as integrator.

“We used the meeting as an opportunity to provide Lt. Gen. Walker an information brief highlighting the resurgence of the CR2C on Redstone,” he said. “Some of the topics discussed during the update were teleworking, SHARP initiatives, headquarters Department of the Army quality of life priorities (housing, healthcare, childcare, spouse employment, PCS moves, support and resilience and suicide prevention) and conducting a Community Strengths and Themes Assessment survey here. WG chairs discussed current efforts and introduced future initiatives they will be working on to support CR2C. Also, unit health promotion team members and SMEs from tenant organizations provided their feedback. The senior commander will use this information along with past practices and other historical data to set his priorities for our team.”

Copeland said he is excited about rolling out the newly developed CSTA survey because the tool will assist his team with assessing community needs. He said the survey will be available to the Redstone community from April 1 to May 16 on the Garrison website.

“This is where everyone in the Redstone community can help. The CSTA survey is a new assessment tool to gather information from the people we serve,” he said. “We’d like to find out what they think about health and wellness and resiliency on Redstone – what’s working and what’s not working. Take time to complete the CSTA survey and let your voice be heard.”

Maintaining readiness and resilience is personal for Copeland. He said his past experience as a Soldier has led him to believe that resiliency is the foundation for overall mental and physical health. It’s something that’s been ingrained within him.

“One of the most important aspects of my job as the CR2I is to ensure the RSA community sustains its vibrancy and overall health,” he said. “I enjoy being part of a program that has a direct impact on making this happen. We are working to improve the overall health of the entire installation and want to make sure Redstone Arsenal remains the place where individuals want to live, work and play.”

For more information on the council, call Copeland at 256-842-6981 or email bryan.a.copeland.civ@mail.mil.