CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Editor's Note: This is a commentary by a member of the 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs Office.
“It’s what you make of it” is a statement no Airman can go too long without hearing. More experienced individuals love to remind us that if we approach our work and lives with open-mindedness and optimism, we are bound to be impressed by what we encounter.
For some Airmen, that is easier said than done. Maybe you are far away from all of the people and places you love; maybe you are having trouble adjusting to a new way of life; maybe you have had a set of experiences whose echoes you just cannot shake.
Perhaps you have turned inward or tangled yourself up asking questions with no right answer: “What am I here for?” “Do my contributions matter?” “Does anyone really care?”
At Cannon, there are quiet professionals who are in the business of caring about you before they even know you. They are your wingmen, your supervisors, your first sergeants, your leadership. They are in the medical group, various squadrons and the chapel.
They might tell you some things you already know—that this work of rediscovering your purpose is called resiliency; that there are four pillars that keep it strong: mental, physical, social, spiritual. They will tell you that if you cultivate them, you can make today’s pain become tomorrow’s strength.
They could point you toward some ideas you had forgotten or had not considered. When I asked Lt. Col. John Kenyon, 27th Special Operations Wing chaplain, what was left to say about resiliency after all of the briefings, the web trainings and workshops, he pointed me to the story of World War II Air Force Captain Louis Zamperini, who survived more than six weeks at sea and two years in a Japanese prison camp after his B-24 bomber went down over the Pacific Ocean in 1943.
“Zamperini kept his mind active, kept his body healthy to the best of his ability and took care of the people around him,” Kenyon said. “He recognized that every pillar of resiliency was equally essential to his survival.”
He told me another secret that Zamperini got right: Often we assume we have to make grand gestures to take care of ourselves, but in fact, there are a lot of small and simple measures Air Commandos can take to get a little stronger each day.
Kenyon also noted that if you look around, you might find examples, reminders, and inspiration everywhere, little connections to those simple self-improvement measures that can pull you away from darkness.
Looking closer, you might see that those pieces are right here at Cannon. Resiliency is a big part of the chapel’s mission, and they are constantly finding new means to help Air Commandos take care of themselves and each other.
You might see families reconnecting with each other over a round of miniature golf, married couples rediscovering how to take care of each other on a couples’ retreat, and single Airmen feeling a sense of participation in something bigger than themselves when they stand in the depths of Palo Duro Canyon.
Leading them, you will see one of those professionals in the business of caring.
In your unit, on Cannon Air Force Base and out in the community, Air Commandos are devoting thought, time and energy to building a better life for you. What potential might you unlock if you keep an eye out for them and follow their lead?