FORT HOOD, Texas (June 11, 2014) – This sprawling Central Texas installation recommitted to readiness and resilience for Soldiers, families and civilians during a ceremony here June 3 that marked the re-launch of the post’s Resiliency Campus and the unveiling of the Soldier and Family Fit Facility.
“This facility embodies a key part of what is (III Corps and Fort Hood Commanding General Lt. Gen. Mark Milley’s intent) and an Army effort to invest in the long-term resilience of our force,” said Maj. Gen. Anthony Ierardi, III Corps and Fort Hood deputy commanding general.
Milley has said that his No. 1 priority for III Corps is readiness. To that end, the Resiliency Campus and Soldier and Family Fit Facility provide services to enhance and build readiness for individuals, families and units. The overall vision, Ierardi said, is a Fort Hood community that integrates resilience into how they build, strengthen, maintain and assess total fitness, individual performance and unit readiness.
“This community, this post is no stranger to challenging operational tempo and deployments,” Ierardi said. “After a number of years, and after some challenging times for our Soldiers and their families, the Army recognizes the importance of enduring programs, such as our readiness and resiliency program, to enhance readiness in our units.”
The re-launch of the Resiliency Campus and unveiling of the Soldier and Family Fit Facility coincided with the kickoff of Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho’s Performance Triad Initiative, which highlights activity, nutrition and sleep as critical components of a healthy lifestyle.
The Performance Triad and wellness centers, such as Fort Hood’s Soldier and Family Fit Facility, as Col. Patricia Darnauer, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center commander, referred to the facility, are part of a broader Public Health effort focusing on installation-by-installation-level health promotion and wellness.
“The Wellness Center provides an environment where individuals can make personal choices about healthy living within their own self-reported needs,” she added.
At the Soldier and Family Fit Facility, Soldiers, families and civilians can work with professionals to build skills for healthy living through five programs — the Army Wellness, Way to Live, Executive Wellness Assessment, tobacco cessation and self-care — at a one-stop shop.
“Each of these programs encourages Soldiers and families to be more proactive in developing healthy behaviors for life,” Darnauer said. “We want the entire Army family to be ready and resilient.”
Fort Hood’s Resiliency Campus, a city block-sized complex located at 31st Street and Battalion Avenue, originally opened in 2009, to provide holistic, proactive programs to build strength in Soldiers and their families.
That mission has not wavered, but has expanded.
“The re-launch is two-fold,” Capt. Jason Norwood, commandant, Fort Hood Resiliency Campus, said. “There is an increased synergy. We’ve revamped and added programs.”
Programs at the Resiliency Campus involve teaching skills Soldiers and their families can implement into their daily lives, as well as share those skills with others.
One of the new programs at the campus is the Commanders Resilience Class, Norwood said. The commanders’ class augments current resiliency training programs to ensure the skills are pushed to all levels.
Programs are designed to build skills to enhance performance in all aspects of life, Master Sgt. William Loggins said.
“They are all life skills and apply in any application of life,” he said. “It’s about getting the mind and body in sync and talking to each other.”
Increased health helps Soldiers and families not only get healthy, but stay healthy and strong.
It’s all about “keeping left of the boom,” the commandant said.
“Our objective is to be proactive as possible,” Norwood said. “This is a prevention program. We want to keep ahead of any negative crisis.”