Cadets take resiliency to ‘HeART’ in Castle Rock
U.S. Air Force Academy Cadets run through the Epic Sky Trek Challenge course during Operation Falcon Frenzy in Castle Rock, Colo. Sept. 16, 2018. The Falcon Frenzy is a resiliency initiative organized by HeART-C, the Helping Agency Resiliency Team for Cadets, a group that aligns the Academy’s helping agencies to strengthen cadets’ mental, physical, social and spiritual well being.
Story and photos by Tech. Sgt. Tabitha Lee, Sept. 17, 2018
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — Cadets from the Air Force Academy showed their teamwork and resiliency Sept. 16 in Castle Rock.
HeART-C, the Helping Agency Resiliency Team for Cadets, arranged team-building and outreach activities for the cadets at the Epic Sky Trek Challenge course in the City.
“[HeART-C] is crucial to ensuring individual and team readiness, resilience and overall Cadet Wing health,” said Capt. Dillon Small, director of Outreach and Prevention at the Peak Performance Center.
Small said HeART-C aligns the Academy’s helping agencies to strengthen cadets’ mental, physical, social and spiritual well being.
Academy military resiliency trainers, councilors, and staff from the chaplain’s office and Sexual Assault Response and Prevention office traveled to Castle Rock with cadets.
Cadet 3rd Class Diego Mendez appreciated the physical and mental challenges and teamwork.
“They put a lot of challenges and obstacles in front of us and through our teamwork and perseverance, we were able to get past them,” he said. “The obstacles and running were a lot of fun and we all stayed together as a team.”
The event, “Operation Falcon Frenzy,” was a new resiliency outreach effort Academy officials hope will occur annually.
“HeART-C is here to help cadets thrive and not just survive,” said Col. Julian Stephens, the Academy’s vice commandant of culture and climate. “Involving cadets to identify obstacles distracting them, having cadets generate solutions and ultimately participating in respective solutions is paramount to the HeART-C’s relevancy and effectiveness.”
A U.S. Air Force Academy cadet crosses an obstacle on the Epic Sky Trek during Falcon Frenzy in Castle Rock, Colo. Sept. 16, 2018. HeART-C, the Helping Agency Resiliency Team for Cadets, arranged team-building and outreach activities for the cadets at the Epic Sky Trek Challenge course.