DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- As the second Unit Training Assembly of 2015 comes to a close, members of Dobbins must once again say goodbye to their coworkers and fellow reservists. With another month to go until the Dobbins family is reunited once more, it becomes increasingly important to stay connected with one another - much like families during the holidays.
One way to stay connected is by reinforcing the concept of being a good "wingman" throughout the Dobbins community.
For the February UTA, Dobbins participated in the Air Force-wide Wingman Day to remind the community what it means to be a wingman and how it benefits the base as a whole.
"The ultimate goal for this Wingman Day was to identify helping resources, show the importance of our being connected, and how we operate as family, friends and coworkers," said Lt. Col. James F. Danford, the 94th Airlift Wing chaplain. "One of the benefits of the Reserve is that we can be around one another for a long period of time because we don't move as much. But one of the negatives is that we see each other for short snippets. So, often times we may not ask [our fellow reservists] 'what's going on in the rest of their lives?'"
Getting to know fellow members of the Dobbins community on a deeper level is key to being a good wingman, said Danford.
Using the time together effectively to get to know each other on a deeper level is highly beneficial --especially in the case of fellow members who may be reaching out for help, Danford said.
Phyllis Jeter, director of psychological health, talks with Airmen during Wingman Day at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., Feb. 8, 2015. Dobbins participated in the Air Force-wide Wingman Day to remind the community what it means to be a wingman and how it benefits the base as a whole. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Andrew Park)
"When I came in the Air Force in 1984, it was mandatory that we knew our people," said Col. Marshall Irvin, Jr., 94th Mission Support Group commander. "We knew about them, their lives, their families and their children. It's incumbent on us as leaders to know what's going on in our Airmen and our Airmen's families' lives. That's our job."
Wingman Day provided everyone with the knowledge of where to find helping resources to assist fellow wingmen in receiving help.
Wingman Day identified helping agencies around base, as well as resources provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The day concluded with members being released to their individual units for a more personal discussion of being a wingman.
"I think to be a wingman is to be a friend and to live in community,” Danford said. “The overall concept we're going to see as a wing is that each individual is important, and the wing is stronger because the individual is there."
This concept of being a wingman reaches beyond individuals helping individuals. It also includes the entire community of Dobbins helping each member.
"Wingman Day will be a success if we hear and see the culture of people asking for and receiving help that is needed," Danford said.