National Prayer Luncheon reinforces Team Seymour resilience

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Shawna L. Keyes
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Each year, members of Team Seymour come together, regardless of their own personal religious denomination, to celebrate Seymour Johnson Air Force Base's National Prayer Luncheon.

More than 200 individuals attended this year's annual event, May 2, 2014, at the Heritage Hall, here. Department of Defense cardholders throughout Goldsboro, N.C. conversed, enjoyed a meal and promoted spiritual resilience in the lives of both service members and their families.

"The luncheon gave Airmen the opportunity to come together as a community," said Chaplain (Lt. Col) Dwayne Keener, 4th Fighter Wing chaplain. "Exercising spiritual resilience isn't always about just praying; it can be as simple as connecting with others on a personal level or gaining your own perspective on what's important."

During the luncheon, Keener also shared ways that individuals can exercise spiritually resilience on their own time.

"Even those who aren't religious can cleanse themselves, by going for a nice walk, riding a bicycle, or just reflecting in some way," Keener said. "These are all excellent ways to practice spiritual resilience." said Keener.

Following the lunch portion of the event, Dr. Glenn Schiraldi, University of Maryland School of Public Health psychology professor and guest speaker, spoke about why he feels exercising spiritual resilience is important; especially for those who served in the military.

His main themes were faith, optimism and forgiveness.

He shared his accounts of a five-year period during which he interviewed numerous combat survivors and former prisoners of war about their experiences. He expressed his astonishment at their ability to cope with all the hardships they've gone through and move forward with their lives by utilizing their own spiritual resilience. Most cited that their strength to preserver stemmed from their inner faith.

"When you read books, they tell you that optimism is a big component of resilience," Schiraldi said. "But faith gives us something deeper than optimism; it gives us hope. Hope is the very core of resilience."

Schiraldi went on to tell the story of a POW who happened to meet his capture years after being released from a prison camp. He recalled the individual explaining how only through his inner strength was he able to truly forgive the man who had been his interrogator for so many years.

By sharing these accounts, he helped leave a lasting impression on those in attendance.

"His speech was very inspiring as he took us through the histories of those who were very resilient," said Chaplain (Capt.) Thomas Webb, 4th Fighter Wing chaplain. "The event as a whole served as a reminder of how each of us, as we face difficulties in life, to look back on those trailblazers and what they taught us through their selfless sacrifice and devotion to duty."

All of the speakers at the luncheon took time to talk about the Comprehensive Airman Fitness concept and how its spiritual portion helps create overall resilient Airmen.

"The CAF program describes four pillars, mental, physical, social and spiritual. The spiritual pillar helps to provide Airmen with warfighter resilience, mental toughness, the ability to overcome besetting circumstances; the ability to "bounce back."

Keener later expanded upon Schiraldi's comments.

"The spiritual pillar is like the fourth leg on a chair," Keener said. "If you take away that fourth leg you're going to fall. The spiritual pillar helps to develop the 'inner-being', and this is where we turn to when we're going through struggles in our lives."