You’ll play like you practice Published April 17, 2012 By Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Tim Porter 21st Space Wing PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- I played a lot of basketball while in high school and college. When the team was loafing in practice, one of the phrases that the coach often repeated was, "You'll play like you practice!" What was the point of his warning? If you don't put forth your best effort in practice then your lack of discipline and training will be revealed in the game when you are challenged by your opponent. When you get to the end of the game, when your endurance is tested, you'll have nothing to draw from. Resiliency isn't built during the game, it's forged in practice. What is resiliency? It is the ability to bounce back from adversity or the capacity to recover from a difficult experience. In order to support resiliency, the Air Force has implemented a philosophy called Comprehensive Airmen Fitness in which every Airman is asked to develop four pillars - physical, mental, social and spiritual - which will contribute to their resiliency. According to the CAF concept of operations, "the goal is to reduce self-defeating behaviors, feelings of hopelessness and despair, and yield stronger, healthier, happier, more resilient Airmen and families who are better equipped to manage the rigors of 21st Century military life." Air Force members are most familiar with the development of the physical pillar because we are required to participate in regular physical exercise and our progress is tested every year. Development of the other three pillars is not mandatory but strongly encouraged and it is each Airman's responsibility to monitor their own progress. Let's take a brief look at the other three pillars. The social pillar involves the development of healthy relationships and networks of social support. When going through hardships Airmen need to know that they are not isolated, but they have personally nurtured relationships with friends and co-workers who can be called upon for support and encouragement. The mental pillar involves the practice of healthy thinking patterns. It has been proven that our thoughts affect our emotional outlook and our behavior. It takes practice to develop a positive outlook even when life isn't as we would like it to be. An author said, "Positive minds full of faith and hope produce positive lives." When difficulty comes our way, our thoughts can shield us from depression or from self-defeating behavior. The final pillar involves spiritual fitness (my favorite)! The Air Force Chief of Chaplains Office states, "Spiritual fitness is about having a sense of purpose and meaning in your life. It's about strengthening your set of beliefs, principles, values or religious faith that give you a sense of well-being, hope, and the will to keep going. Spiritual fitness is as essential to an individual's resiliency as esprit de corps is vital to a unit's mission accomplishment." How does spiritual fitness work in a combat zone? A few years ago I deployed to Balad, Iraq, in the heart of hostile country. The base was mortared and rocketed by insurgents almost every day - sometimes twice a day. It created uncertainty, disrupted routines and raised anxiety among the Airmen and Soldiers on the base. The state-side training I had practiced -- physical, mental, social and spiritual -- became the foundation that I tapped into every day for strength. About a month into the deployment a rocket pierced a tent in the Air Force lodging area, killing an Airman and injuring some of his tent mates. It was both sobering and sad to join together at the back of a C-130 and send his body back to loved ones in the United States. In order to manage the stress I continued a regular physical fitness regiment which I had established stateside. Mentally, I refused to focus on "what ifs" (what if I get hit with a rocket) and instead centered my thoughts on things that nurtured hope and a sense of purpose. In the social/relational realm, our team supported one another with encouragement and relieved the tension with humor. Most important to me - I practiced spiritual disciplines like prayer, focused my thoughts on my long held spiritual beliefs, and led chapel worship services which not only encouraged the Airmen who attended, but this practice renewed my hope. These "practices" which were forged stateside, sustained me throughout the deployment. The wisdom of my basketball coach was proven true in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the middle of Iraq, I discovered that "I played like I had practiced!" My advice - don't neglect the wisdom of the four pillars. Not only do they work in a war zone, but when practiced regularly they give us the ability to bounce back from whatever life dishes out and they improve our quality of life.