OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- The 51st Fighter Wing Chapel hosted a resilience building event at the Mountain Ground rock climbing gym in Dongtan-Daero, Republic of Korea, Dec. 15. 2023.
The event used rock climbing as a metaphorical comparison to life, and trained Airmen on how they could develop personal resilience to better handle challenges when dealing with relationships, setting goals and managing stress.
“The goal of this event was to build healthy and actionable resilience habits,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Travis Abt, 51st FW religious affairs Airman. “We also focused on how to build life skills through goal-setting, to maintain confidence through whatever challenge you might face.”
The event was organized by USAF Capt. John Choi, 51st FW chaplain and Abt as a result of their passion for rock climbing and their desire to develop a more resilient community throughout the wing.
“A wise chaplain once told me that anytime we can find the intersection where the needs of the Airmen meet our personal passions, something magical happens,” said Choi. “Rock climbing is an activity that I have loved for many years, and so I was excited to work with Abt to build a resiliency curriculum centered around it.”
The event was attended by Airmen from multiple base organizations, and emphasized the importance of the Chapel’s contributions to the Fight Tonight mission and to Osan’s Airmen.
“Building and teaching resilience is essential for the Fight Tonight mission at Osan,” said Choi. “Resiliency helps ground us, helps us remember our why, and helps us maintain focus amidst stress, hardship and the daily grind.”