Resiliency Training: Does it actually work?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 19:00:38 -0500

So I have seen many different RP postings on RT, MRT, the like, but I wanted to get to the meat and potatoes of it.

I do want to start out by saying I am BIASED from the get go: I believe in Christianity and have found more assistance and help from that than I ever have from MRT. And yes- I do politely pay attention and participate in MRT courses.

I recently completed flight training, became an NCO, fought and lost a divorce, was hit by a drunk driver, and terminated from a job doing exactly what I needed to do-(drill).

MRT I think would have been fine for most of these had they been spread out-but this all occurred within the span of 3 months. I desperately tried to figure out a way to get out of the abyss, and went through all of the MRT deals, and it did nothing to assist me. I find more solace and help in religion, from my pastors, my support group, and from family.

I am wondering has anyone been through a similar set of circumstances and tried to use MRT, and did it help?

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 2 at 2015 7:12 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 19:12:02 -0500

From the outside looking in, SGT Private RallyPoint Member, I applaud your leaning on Christ to get through your troubles. That's the best way to be resilient. Could you couple your beliefs with the techniques learned in the MRT training? That's what I would try to do if I were in your shoes. A LOT of this (Christianity) and a bit of that (MRT). I think it could be a winning combination. Good luck to you!

http://csf2.army.mil/mrtresource.html

Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness (CSF2)

Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness (CSF2) is designed to build resilience and enhance performance of the Army Family — Soldiers, their Families, and Army Civilians. CSF2 does this by providing hands-on training and self-development tools so that members of the Army Family are better able to cope with adversity, perform better in stressful situations, and thrive in life.

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Feb 2 at 2015 7:27 PM

TSgt Joshua Copeland — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 19:27:51 -0500

https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/master-resilience-training-is-it-working

Master Resilience Training; is it working? | RallyPoint

Caveat upfront: I am a Wing MRT and have a pretty positive view of the program. Now since that is out of the way, from folks who are not MRTs/RTAs what is your experience with this training? Is it value added? Have you seen any cases where you believe the training actually helped? How often are your units training on it? Folks that ARE MRTs/RTAs, do you feel the program is working? [~506423:SMSgt Ottis West]

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Feb 2 at 2015 7:35 PM

TSgt Joshua Copeland — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 19:35:18 -0500

At least in the AF version of the course, faith is one of the methods. In fact, many of the other skills are actually taught during seminary to aspiring pastors, with just a different spin. I would say the fact that you "sat quietly" through the training via actually engaged in it might have drastically reduced the usefulness of the material.

Response by SFC Vernon McNabb made Feb 2 at 2015 8:32 PM

SFC Vernon McNabb — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 20:32:53 -0500

One thing I have learned from "mandatory Army training" is that it tends to apply to the 1%. By this, I mean to say that if everyone in your unit goes to the training, it may only apply specifically to one person in your unit. Not everybody has thoughts of suicide, but there may be someone in your ranks who has thought, or is thinking about suicide. If they receive the training, and hopefully realize they are not alone in their struggle, then maybe they will get the help they need and get on the road to recovery. Resiliency training is similar, in that it applies to a small percentage of people who have no mechanism to cope with stress. Most of us have an innate ability to cope, whether it's sports, reading or just relaxing.

So to answer your question more directly, I think it works, but the number of people who need it, is significantly smaller than those who do not; therefore, it makes it difficult to gauge its effectiveness.

Response by SFC Nikhil Kumra made Feb 2 at 2015 8:46 PM

SFC Nikhil Kumra — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 20:46:21 -0500

First info want to say great work for pushing through and finding what works for you.

Second, I think that there are a few things here that may be overlooked - 1) application: sure you can't read a book or do a class and learn resilience. True resilience comes from what you do during, as well as after the adversity. This "resilience trainings" that the army does-- not sure what it is or to what extent it's efficient, but I would guess it's quite useless. The best resilience training I've ever had for the things that hit me like a brick wall in the civilian world were the struggles in the service. Being able to reflect on your past issues, take sound lessons and apply today's error corrections tomorrow, now that I would say is true resilience education.

2) this is I think the army's answer to what is going on today after a 12 year long war... From what I've seen, and I stress, it hasn't been much... It looks like something corporate America would do if the country's day traders were quitting their job and committing suicide at the rate of 22 per day... So all in all, probably not the most inpactful.

The army is one organization that doesn't get it. I would attribute a lot of that to not being able to "promote from outside"... All of the rank and file, to the top, is all internal. It's going to take several more decades get real change that way. When the vast majority of officers never really had a post college career (active duty), other than the service- there's no good way to think different.