WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- The Wingman Guardian Connect program has come to Whiteman.
The program was developed to bolster social connections and mental health among new Airmen and is conducted during the First Term Enlisted Course. It first debuted at McConnell AFB, Kansas to help new service members create social connections when they arrive at their first duty station. It was started in response to increasing social isolation among young service members.
Facilitators at Whitman say this program is a vital asset of Air Force culture.
“What differentiates this resilience program from others is it’s very Airmen led, facilitates discussion, and it fosters networking,” said Tech. Sgt. Salvador Bonilla, 509th Force Support Squadron FTEC Noncommissioned Officer in Charge. “They can build those social groups and hopefully keep those bonds so they have people they can reach out to throughout their time at Whiteman.”
Enlisted Airmen and Guardians learn four core principles during the program: kinship, purpose, guidance, and balance. These principles are based on University of Rochester Medical Center research that links them to physical and mental health as well as career success.
Service members go through a series of workshops, activities, and group discussions designed to improve relationships, foster mentorship, and mitigate social isolation, equipping troops with tools for managing stress and encouraging a culture of mutual support.
“I think it gives Airman a stronger platform and social network to lean on, so when they go back to their career fields, they don’t feel stuck in their rooms,” Bonilla said. “This gives them that foundation with people they can rely on if they want to go out on a weekend or if they’re going through issues.”
Whiteman is one of nine bases using the program, and facilitators hope it will spread to more bases. The Department of the Air Force is currently gathering input about the program to further develop and improve on it.
Even though it is still in its infancy, Airmen are already starting to see the benefits of the program.
“I think connection is huge,” said A1C Dean Fochios, 509th Logistics and Readiness Journeyman. “The military isn’t that big, but the more we get to know everybody and what they do, the more we get a better purpose for why we do our own jobs. I know my job directly affects another Airman in our class, so now my purpose is stronger, and I want to do better so his job is easier, and so on and so forth.”
As the program grows and expands to new bases, it will enhance unit cohesion and mission readiness by improving mental health and social bonds between service members.