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AFMC Wellness and Safety Campaign under way

  • Published
  • By Kathleen A.K. Lopez
  • Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs
"Wellness is an Attitude!" 

If Air Force Materiel Command leadership has its way, those words will become more than just a slogan for the command's new wellness and safety campaign; it will become a way of life. 

Gen. Bruce Carlson, AFMC commander, identified wellness and safety of the command's military and civilian work force as one of his top three priorities shortly after assuming command in August 2005. 

"Our work force is our only appreciable asset," General Carlson said. "Our success in AFMC depends on our work force - one that is healthy, safe, motivated, excited, interested and whole in terms of its overall wellness. Our efforts will help our people gain value, improve their quality of life and help them become even more productive over time." 

To facilitate this cultural transition, a team representing all aspects of wellness and safety, led by Brig. Gen. (Dr.) William Germann, AFMC command surgeon, has defined and set the course for AFMC's Wellness and Safety Campaign, or WASC. The campaign began May 8, kicking off AFMC's second-quarter Wingman Week. 

"Our goal is to create an environment within AFMC that takes a holistic approach to the overall wellness and safety of our people," Dr. Germann said. "But to do this, we need to change our behaviors." 

What is wellness?
"Wellness is an Attitude" represents the command's concept that wellness is the sum total of four parts, or dimensions. They are: physical, social, emotional and spiritual.

Defined, the physical dimension of wellness is about weight-control, a balanced and healthy diet, appearance, self-image and exercise, said Lt. Col. John Leitnaker, operational prevention branch chief, command surgeon's office. The social dimension focuses on healthy relationships, job performance, involvement with group and team activities and financial stability. Emotional dimension traits address self-esteem and happiness. The spiritual dimension of wellness is about faith in a higher order and hope. Spiritual wellness does not necessarily mean a belief system that is religion-based, but recognizes the importance of resiliency and the ability to bounce back from the inevitable setbacks in life, the colonel said.

Why change?
AFMC is a unique major command, having its fingerprints on every Air Force program in the inventory, thereby supporting every American warfighter be they at home or abroad. 

Ironically, AFMC's work force is nearly 75 percent civilian. AFMC civilians historically have not been part of the military structure that supports a wellness-focused work force, Dr. Germann said. They have been identified, but are not well integrated. 

There is good cause in bringing AFMC civilian Airmen into the fold with their uniformed co-workers. 

"The number of deaths among our civilian work force is of great concern to me," General Carlson said. "There are other threats to our people's wellness due to obesity, sedentary lifestyles and poorly managed health conditions.

"We have an opportunity here not only to decrease the risk of early death, but also improve folks' productivity at work and overall quality of life. I don't enjoy signing condolence letters to families whose loved ones have died a death that possibly could have been prevented in a healthier, safer environment." 

In creating a wellness-focused and safe environment for the AFMC work force, the AFMC commander intends to enhance readiness and productivity of the work force, while minimizing personal risk of preventable injury, illness or suicide.

Getting started: WASC initiatives in place, others to come
Implementation of initial phases of the WASC began in January. For instance, full-time AFMC civilian Airmen are authorized up to three hours weekly for fitness or wellness activities, or a combination of both, Dr. Germann said. Part-time employees' participation is prorated.

"This means civilians may dedicate this time to physical fitness activities, or attend any number of wellness classes offered at various base locations, including Health and Wellness Centers, medical centers, family support offices or the chapel, just to name a few," he said. 

To participate in the voluntary physical fitness program, employees first need to contact their servicing employee relations specialists at their base civilian personnel offices. 

More recent was the rollout of the voluntary Air Force Civilian Health Risk Appraisal, a questionnaire geared toward assessing and enhancing civilian quality of life, and the online AFMC Civilian Wellness Support Center. 

"The HRA provides individualized, real-time wellness-related information and feedback to workers, allowing them to make informed decisions in a number of important wellness categories," General Carlson said. 

The HRA is an outreach of Civilian Health Promotion Services. All AFMC bases have CHPS offices. Some of their services include annual physical health assessments, health education classes for nutrition, exercise, stress and weight management as well as tobacco cessation classes. To access the Web site, log onto http://www.afmcwellness.com , then click on "AFMC Civilian Wellness." 

Other command-wide policies aimed at creating a culture that protects the AFMC population - and are enforced - include a cell phone policy, which prohibits hand-held cell-phone use while driving on AFMC installations (hands-free devices are permitted), and a seatbelt policy, in which all passengers in vehicles must be strapped. 

Two more initiatives debuted during AFMC's second-quarter Wingman Week: an online wellness survey; and a Wingman's Wellness Passport program. An incentive plan that promotes individual and center-level competition is being developed as well.

Leading wingmen takes leadership
The WASC is intended to align with AFMC's already-established Wingman culture, which is why the campaign debuted during AFMC's Wingman Week. 

It takes three things to be a good Wingman, Dr. Germann said. First, is to be alert, then, get involved and, finally, take action. 

"However, it's one thing to make a voluntary commitment to wellness, helping yourself and helping others," he said. "It's another to feel you're in an environment that supports your decision." 

General Carlson has made it clear that the transition toward a culture of wellness and safety is one that will require leadership from all levels. 

"Changing our culture to be one that is wellness- and safety-focused will take leadership from the top and involvement from every member of our command," he said.
"Commanders and directors, chiefs, first sergeants and supervisors at every level must lead by example first. They need to get to know their people, understanding their likes, dislikes, problems and frustrations.

"You cannot provide this brand of leadership by sitting behind a computer and generating what it's going to take from a leadership perspective. It is personal, it is face-to-face, it is sincere and it is direct. That's what it's going to take from a leadership perspective."

American Federation of Government Employees Council 214 is on board with the wellness and safety cultural shift, as well, having participated in the development of the programs to date.

What's the goal of the campaign?
Command leadership recognizes that cultural change is not easy, nor quick. It can, however, be measured to ascertain effectiveness. For the WASC, in lieu of goals, end states have been identified in all four dimensions and will be assessed quarterly, Dr. Germann said.

Some of the annual objectives of the physical dimension are to decrease tobacco use in AFMC by 20 percent, increase the civilian fitness participation rate to 35 percent and decrease combined military and civilian on-duty disabling injuries by 33 percent, the doctor said. Socially, the campaign's aim includes decreasing adverse alcohol-related events by 25 percent annually and the number of persons with credit card debt by 10 percent. In the emotional dimension, the end state is 100 percent in eliminating suicides, training wingmen in suicide awareness and increasing awareness of behavioral health counseling services. A target of the spiritual dimension is to increase spiritual wellness of seeking individuals by 10 percent. 

"In the end, we want to be known as the Air Force flagship command for leading the way to personal holistic wellness for its people," General Carlson said. "In other words, we want people to embody the concept that, 'Wellness is an Attitude!'