POTFF to help Air Commandos, families: future initiatives

by Airman 1st Class Andrea Posey
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

10/16/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. – Editor’s note: This is the second article in a series about Preservation of the Force and Family, a special operations command initiative, and how it will help Air Commandos and their families at Hurlburt Field within the next year.

Preservation of the Force and Family is an initiative throughout the base which showcases tools and resources available to help with physical, spiritual, mental and social issues potentially found in those who work in special operations.

Within the next fiscal year, POTFF will set up teams in each special operations group, according to Sue Nelson, 1st Special Operations Wing community support coordinator.

Each group will have a resiliency team provided by POTFF with personnel to support it, Nelson said. These teams include psychological and physical providers, physical therapists and technicians, and family support coordinators for spiritual and social assistance.

Nelson said providers are placing providers in the unit, and these providers will continuously be available for walk-in appointments.

“This takes that resource and puts it in the unit because we know the help is needed,” she said. “It’s how you get people to have that trust and habitual relationship to where they will go seek help. That’s what POTFF is doing; it’s putting these people in the unit where they have day-to-day contact with these individuals.”

POTFF will also have a central location, Nelson said.

“[The resiliency center] will consolidate the same programs on the active-duty side such as the family advocacy program, the chapel and the health and wellness center, with the POTFF providers to see issues within these programs and keep statistics on what type of concerns that are found,” she said.

POTFF also has some standalone projects, according to Adm. William McRaven, commander of United States Special Operations Command.

“We have worked with the Department of Defense to sponsor legislative changes that will enable the Special Operations Command to accept charitable contributions to promote the resiliency of our forces and their families,” he said in an email to Air Commandos. “We’re engaging with academia, government agencies, and industry to identify techniques and technologies which will help to optimize the psychological, physical and social performance of SOF.”

For example, next year Hurlburt Field plans to expand POTFF programs as long as funding is secured, Nelson said. Day trips for youth of deployed members, anti-bullying classes, resiliency classes for spouses and family members are on the horizon, she said.

The next article in this series will focus on a POTFF licensed clinical psychologist, and her experiences so far at Hurlburt Field.