Wingman Day – Taking care of yourself so you can care for others Published Nov. 12, 2008 By Maj. Ron Johnson Chief, Mental Health Services VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Vance Air Force Base will take a step back from regular training to instruct something different, but equally important, during the annual Wingman Day, Friday, Nov. 21. There will also be eight special sessions prior to Nov. 21 to help Vance focus on dealing with stress. Wingman Day is a day set aside when Airmen discuss what is going on in their units and develop ways of being better Wingmen - taking care of themselves so they, in turn, can take better care of those around them. Building a Wingman culture means being aware of what is happening in your life and the lives of those around you, such as looking for warning signs of increased stress or difficulties at work or in the home. Is someone you know no longer as sharp at work as they were, or perhaps getting into difficulties in non-characteristic ways? Are they down or talking of problems in their relationships? A good Wingman knows those around them and can engage in a meaningful way. They take time to lend a listening ear and know where to get needed services. On Wingman Day there will be time to meaningfully interact with co-workers and talk about and resolve different ways people can get themselves out of difficulties. The schedule for Nov. 21 will include the following, but check with your immediate supervisor for a unit-specific schedule. 8:30 a.m. - Squadron commanders' calls 9:30 a.m. - Small group breakouts at the flight or element level to explore the wingman concept, safety and other issues and concerns 11:30 a.m. - Lunch at the squadron and flight level. Issues from breakouts presented to squadron commanders 1 p.m. - Team building and team sports activities 3 p.m. - Squadron commanders and above will meet This year we will be doing something extra. In order to help the base handle everyday pressure better, Maj. Trent Baines, an Air Force Academy graduate, currently flying with the Colorado Civil Air Patrol, will talk about stress engineering several times in several locations Nov. 18, 19 and 20. All of us have different stresses in life and learning how to better handle them will be of great benefit. This comes in time to help us with the added stress Team Vance is under as we prepare for the operational readiness inspection in February. Major Baines will conduct eight different sessions of his stress engineering class. Each session is tailored for a specific audience. However, if it is impossible to go during the appointed time individuals can go at other times. The class schedule is listed below. Of particular note is a special session for spouses which will be held Thursday, Nov. 20, at 6 p.m. in the 71st Operations Support Squadron auditorium in Bldg. 690. Nov. 18 8 a.m. - Leadership - for commanders, directors of operations, superintendents - 71st OSS auditorium, Bldg. 690 Noon - Enlisted -- Base auditorium, Bldg. 550 3 p.m. - Students and casuals - 8th Flying Training Squadron auditorium, Bldg. 179 Nov. 19 8 a.m. - Students and casuals -- Base auditorium, Bldg. 550 3 p.m. - Enlisted -- Base auditorium, Bldg. 550 Nov. 20 8 a.m. - Instructor pilots, officers -- Base auditorium, Bldg. 550 Noon - Officers and civilians -- Base auditorium, Bldg. 550 6 p.m. -- Spouses - 71st OSS auditorium, Bldg. 690 At the conclusion of Wingman Day, Airmen should be well armed to handle their own personal stress, as well as feel comfortable in their roles as Wingmen, so they will be more familiar with those around them and help others who are in need of assistance.