Don't forget your Wingman during holidays

Published Nov. 30, 2007
By Lt. Col. Dave Parr
72nd Operations Support Squadron Commander and Tinker Integrated Delivery System Chairman

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Everyone needs a break from the daily grind and the holiday season serves as a great time to rejuvenate and contemplate on next year's goals and aspirations.
   However, with gift giving, holiday parties, exchanging cards, and re-uniting with family and friends, this time of year can also be overwhelming to many. The holiday season, more than ever, is a time to be extra vigilant when looking out for our fellow Wingmen.
   The Tinker Wingman Coin depicts this perfectly with a bald eagle having his eye open with the inscription, "Keeping One Eye Open For Our Airman." During the holiday season, your fellow Wingmen need a watchful eye and a strong support structure to ensure safety and to ensure they continue to run full strength on all four of their wellness engines, including their emotional, physical, social, and spiritual aspects.
   To many, the holiday season can be absolutely overwhelming. Accident rates often rise, DUI rates increase and suicides become a major concern. The Wingman program was designed to prevent these negative trends from increasing, but it takes extreme pro-activeness by all parties to look after their fellow Wingman.
   The key step to being a great Wingman is to remain vigilant at all times. You may be just the person they are looking for to get them through a tough period in their life. But you'll never know if you don't directly talk to them about their thoughts and feeling. And you do not have to be a social worker or psychologist to be a great Wingman, you just have to be able to care enough to recognize that they need help, and to provide that all important "positive handoff" with someone who can directly address their personal concerns and worries. The earliest possible intervention is always better than waiting until the problem escalates.
   As for suicide prevention, the Wingman Boldface is an important first step in giving you the tools to prevent a fellow Wingman from doing something tragic. Oftentimes, this cry for help comes too late.
   The Wingman culture is designed to intervene before the problem becomes too overwhelming. If you can remember the D-MOP acronym -- Desire, Means, Other Engines, Positive Handoff -- you're well on your way to being a more vigilant and effective Wingman.
   Last but not least, preventing a person from getting behind the wheel of an automobile after they have been drinking is critical towards being a great Wingman. Holiday cheer is often accompanied with holiday spirits, but nothing can ruin the holidays quicker than injuring or killing someone because your celebration included not knowing when to surrender your keys to a designated driver. As an additional safety net, Airmen Against Drunk Driving will be available all through the holidays and they remain just a phone call away at 820-4444.
   Enjoy the holidays and I hope all of you have a chance to reunite with friends and family. But whether you stay at Tinker over the holidays or travel halfway around the world, being a great Wingman to your friends and family members is absolutely invaluable.
   Thanks for a great 2007 and help make 2008 even better by further spreading the Wingman culture across Tinker and throughout your homes and neighborhoods. If you have questions about the Wingman culture or the Integrated Delivery System, call me at anytime at 734-2815 or e-mail david.parr@tinker.af.mil.
   As a reminder, the Tinker 500 goals remain: 100 percent have a Wingman, 100 percent elimination of suicides, 100 percent live by 0-0-1-3, 100 percent family and financial readiness and 100 percent full power on the Wellness Engines: Emotional, Physical, Spiritual and Social.