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Military service can place extreme stresses on a Soldier, both
physically and mentally. Soldiers must be prepared to battle
multiple personal challenges while operating in some of the most
extreme conditions far away from home.
Physically, Soldiers
prepare by conducting physical training as a part of their daily
work schedule as well as participating in regularly occurring job
specific training to ensure they remain at the peak of their
profession. However, preparing for the mental stresses that come
with military service can be just as important as how a Soldier
prepares their body.
For one 1st Infantry Division Soldier,
resiliency has been the key to bouncing back from adversity and
remaining mentally strong following a bout with depression.
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December 16, 2016 - Spc. Justin Dillon, a chemical, biological,
radiological and nuclear specialist with the 101st Brigade Support
Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division,
participates in an Army combatives tournament on Camp Casey, South
Korea. Dillon, a native of Martinsburg, WV, uses combatives as one
of many ways to remain resilient and emotionally strong in the face
of adversity. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Jonathan Camire, 1st ABCT
Public Affairs)
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In 2015, Spc. Justin Dillon, a chemical, biological,
radiological and nuclear specialist with the 101st Brigade
Support Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf.
Div., experienced personal relationship issues that caused
his world to collapse around him. While many people may
experience a gradual downward slope into depression,
Dillon's experience happened suddenly and without warning.
“I never had issues with depression,” Dillon said. “I
found out a bunch of negative information all at once and I
started drinking that night and it happened just like that.”
“I never in a
million years thought it would happen to me,” he added.
For Dillon, building resiliency came by way of simply
sharing with others the issues he was facing in his life,
something he would have never thought to do before.
“If someone would have told me the same stuff I'm saying
right now a year ago, I probably would have just brushed it
off and ignored it,” Dillon said about opening up
emotionally to others. “But now I understand, because of
everything I went through, how important it really is.”
Dillon credits his chain of command for being there for
him when he needed it the most and making sure he had the
support he needed to bounce back.
One way Dillon
learned how to cope with life's challenges came in the way
of competing in Army combatives, something he recently began
training to do with the help of his company first sergeant.
“It was just something I decided I wanted to do when we
got out (to Korea),” the Martinsburg, West Virginia native
said. “It definitely helps. I know we're all a part of a
team of Soldiers, but with combatives, it's narrowed down a
little more.”
For Dillon and other Soldiers like him,
learning resiliency skills is a way to deal with the many
issues common among those in the military service.
“It's important for us to be aware that we need to be more
resilient,” he said. “We deal with a lot of things that
those in the civilian world don't have to, like leaving for
extended periods of time.”
Resiliency is a top
priority for the Army. The Army's Ready and Resilient
campaign aims to provide leaders with the ability to achieve
and sustain personal readiness by optimizing human
performance in environments of uncertainty and persistent
danger.
“Resiliency is the ability to bounce back
from some type of adversity in your life,” said Sgt. 1st
Class Charles Kistler, the 1st ABCT human resources
noncommissioned officer in charge and a master resiliency
trainer. “When something out of the ordinary comes your way,
how will you deal with it? Will you let it take you down or
will you face it head on and come out better for it?”
According to Kistler, leaders have a responsibility to
know what is going on in their Soldiers lives so they can
step in and help when their Soldiers are facing hardship.
“It's important to know your Soldiers very well,”
Kistler said. “Leaders need to understand that Soldiers will
go through different stages of problems in their lives so
you have to ask questions and find out how the Soldier is
dealing with it.”
Both Dillon and Kistler agree that
resiliency isn't something Soldiers should only practice
when things get tough. Resiliency is a skill that can help
with everyday life, both inside and outside the military.
“Whether you're having ups or downs, you should always
practice resiliency,” Dillon said. “If you're resilient,
you're going to be able to tackle more obstacles. Being
resilient can only be a positive thing.”
By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Warren Wright
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
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