SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. –
More than 168 initiatives spread throughout 12 Air Mobility Command bases directly supporting Comprehensive Airman Fitness were approved for funding by command officials Aug. 11.
Comprehensive Airman Fitness, or CAF, began July 1 at AMC. Officials said CAF is not a program, "but an approach to better equip Airmen and their families to handle stress."
"Comprehensive Airman Fitness reflects our commitment to developing a holistic approach to caring for our people that equips, enables and empowers everyone to grow more physically, socially, mentally and spiritually fit," Gen. Raymond E. Johns, Jr., AMC commander, said in June while addressing CAF to AMC wing commanders. "It's not another program, but rather, a means to enhance mission effectiveness by intentionally investing in one another."
Officials said the resources allotted for the initiatives will support the "four pillars" -- physical, social, mental and spiritual fitness -- and the five "Cs" -- caring, committing, communicating, connecting and celebrating -- of CAF.
"This is a great news story for all of Air Mobility Command," said Maj. Christy Hopkins, a member of the AMC Integrated Delivery System Team who reviewed and validated the CAF initiatives. "By funding these initiatives, it shows our leadership really embraces the Comprehensive Airman Fitness culture. They've put money into initiatives that are exactly where the priorities are across the command."
Every base in AMC where leaders submitted initiatives had a percentage that were validated and approved.
"We validated 168 of 234 initiatives that were submitted," Major Hopkins said.
At Travis Air Force Base, Calif., funding was approved for a Special-Needs Task Force to design programs to fill a service gap and afford the base opportunities to host major events for special-needs families.
Other AMC base improvements approved include upgrades to the bowling center at McConnell AFB, Kan.; a spiritual fitness center for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.; fitness center upgrades at Scott AFB, Ill.; enhancements to the base lake and chapel at Little Rock AFB, Ark.; and new equipment for the Deployed Spouse Home Care program at Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
Shannon Dauber, also a member of the AMC Integrated Delivery System Team making the initiative funding possible, said the effort will help bases across the spectrum.
"This step fits right into the vision of Comprehensive Airman Fitness to create a community of balanced, healthy, self-confident Airmen and families whose resilience and total fitness enables them to thrive in an era of high operations tempo and persistent conflict," Ms. Dauber said. "The funding of these initiatives show senior leaders are backing their words with resources throughout AMC."
Major Hopkins said initiatives approved cover nine functional areas that include facilities and construction, base activities and morale, welfare, recreation, child and youth programs, medical, chaplain, library and education, and Airmen and family readiness.
"We're very proud of the validation process and how this cross-functional, senior leadership effort has come to fruition," Major Hopkins said. "This is an effort that will improve the lives of our Airmen, their families, and civilians at each of the bases. This is great news."
As the CAF culture continues to evolve, officials said changes will be made at the leadership level to the Community Action Information Boards and Integrated Delivery Systems. These existing committees are located at every base and comprise helping agencies, such as the chapel and Airman and Family Readiness Center, and meet regularly to find better ways to address Airmen and their families' needs.
The real change, officials project, will take place among junior Airmen and their families -- the bulk of the force -- as others continue to think in terms of CAF. (AFNS)