WAIMANALO, Hawaii -- Soldiers and staff from Pacific Regional Medical Command met for a day of paintball and proverbs, Aug. 8, at Bellows Air Force Station, here.
The program was sponsored by Tripler Army Medical Center's Department of Ministry and Pastoral Care and offered Soldiers the opportunity to practice teamwork, communication skills and work on spiritual fitness.
"As a chaplain, I recognize that the body and mind are important, but the spirit really drives the train," said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Jon Hollenbeck, deputy chief, Department of Ministry and Pastoral Care, TAMC. "(Spirit is) what gets you through the difficult and tough times of life (and is) what grounds and centers you."
In the morning, staff had the opportunity to practice tactical skills on the paintball range and build teamwork and communication skills under fire.
After lunch the group sat down and Hollenbeck led a spiritual discussion. He asked the group to share quotes or words of wisdom they use to get through tough times.
"There are no mistakes, only happy accidents … and if every day was a good day, then you would never know it," said Capt. Randy Perry, commander, Medical Company A, Troop Command, TAMC, as he quoted painter Bob Ross. "What that means to me is you learn more on your valley experiences than you do your mountain tops. If every day was good, then you wouldn't know what the other side was like."
Hollenbeck encouraged the attendees to treat life and their careers like a marathon and not a sprint. He also reminded them that while they need to stay physically fit, they should also strive to be spiritually fit.
"Some of you are in the middle of your careers, while some of you are at the beginning, but I know that each of you draw from some wisdom that allows you to get through the difficult times," Hollenbeck said. "The Army has placed a lot of emphasis on resilience and we recognize that it is important to do some team building exercises like we have done here."
Overall the staff enjoyed their time at Bellows and felt it was a beneficial event.
"It was a lot of fun to get out here and do some maneuvers," said Spc. Cory Policht, who works in the Patient Administration Division, U.S. Army Health Clinic-Schofield Barracks. "As far as resiliency, it is good to get out and get your mind out of the office. Rebuild your resilient self and take time for yourself."
The Department of Ministry and Pastoral Care hopes to offer Spiritual Fitness Training once a quarter for staff to take advantage of. Participants look forward to future opportunities to get out of the office and still build professional relationship skills.
"It is great way to build teamwork and camaraderie," said Spc. Nikolas Revette, who works at the Medical Laboratory, USAHC-SB. "The cohesion you build with the people you work with is really nice."
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