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PictureSgt. 1st Class Peter Trompeter, Lynnwood Career Center commander, interacts with resiliency instructor Dr. Shannon Baird Aug. 26, during Seattle Battalion’s Trailblazer Leadership Development Briefs.
Resiliency May Decrease Future Soldier Loss

By Tom Conning, USAREC, Seattle Battalion
Sept. 29, 2014


Dozens of center commanders, first sergeants, and company commanders crowded around tables to  listen to another presentation on resiliency during  Seattle  Recruiting Battalion’s Trailblazer Leadership Development Briefs Aug. 26. 

“It’s resiliency, it’s always so dry,” said Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Cochrane, Spokane North  Career Center commander, before the class. However, Cochrane was optimistic and curious about this particular  training, because of who was teaching the class. 

Dr. Shannon Baird is the Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness master resilience trainer-performance expert from  Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. She used
humor and an interactive discussion to make the training dynamic and informative. 

“I wanted the attendees to have the tools to teach Future Soldiers resiliency,” said Baird. 

“These are life skills that can be used, not just in one realm like Army Physical Fitness Test or Basic Rifle Marksmanship and basic combat training.”

She said teaching Future Soldiers resiliency skills and educating them about performance enhancement techniques can help the Future Soldiers cope with
adversity and encourage them to follow through with enlistment.

Baird added, basic trainees who’ve developed performance enhancement skills  are more likely to follow through with training and accomplish higher marksmanship scores.

The briefing gave Cochrane  an idea of how to work with  Future Soldiers on developing resiliency.  

“Giving our Future Soldiers tools to deal with adversity and not just telling them to ‘suck it up’ will better prepare them for being a Soldier,” Cochrane said. “My intent is to get my recruiters thinking on a resiliency basis when interacting with the future soldiers.

“Those conversations and classes foster grounds for a stronger relationship with the non-commissioned officers and the Future Soldiers being mentored.”

Cochrane plans to untilize the  training assets and instructors from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the future.