Wingman Day fosters teamwork, enhances camaraderie

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. James Hodgman
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Several Airmen struggle to paddle from one end of the pool to the next in cardboard boats, while others work to put together a puzzle in under 45 minutes, navigate through a maze blindfolded or maneuver a giant ball through an obstacle course. Teamwork is what gets them through, and working together as Wingmen was the focus of the day Oct. 16. 
     
Offutt's 2009 Wingman Day kicked off with a commander's call in Dock 1 of the Bennie Davis Maintenance Facility and featured 55th Wing Commander Brig. Gen. John N. T. Shanahan and motivational speaker Craig Zablocki. 
    
The day also consisted of numerous events including geo trekking, mega-ball challenge, blind maze, build-a-boat races and puzzle building.
At the commander's call, General Shanahan shared his vision of what a true Wingman is. 
     
A Wingman can be anyone, General Shanahan said. "A Wingman could be your friend, supervisor, co-worker or even a family member."

Wingmen are leaders and warriors, who look out for one another, enhance personal wellness and help stop risky behavior, he said, that is what Wingman Day was all about. 
     
After General Shanahan finished addressing several hundred members of the Fightin' Fifty-Fifth he introduced Mr. Zablocki, a motivational speaker who has been making presentation for 15 years. 
    
Mr. Zablocki, with a smile on his face, took to the stage and proceeded to captivate those gathered for almost 90 minutes. Throughout his presentation, he used exercises and references to child-like attitudes to help deliver his message. 
     
Children focus on what they're doing that very moment without any concern for anything else, Mr. Zablocki said. Airmen need to apply the same theory when it comes to being good Wingmen, he added. 
     
He shared a story of a flight he and his son took from Minneapolis to Duluth, Minn. During the flight, the plane started to experience major turbulence. The turbulence was so bad, Mr. Zablocki said, that if he and his son were not buckled in they could have caught air. 
     
As Mr. Zablocki looked around the plane he noticed the majority of adults freaking out, grinding their teeth and growing more and more upset. But when he looked at his son who was flying for the first time, he was shouting a gleeful "wee!" with every bounce of turbulence. 
     
Mr. Zablocki's son had no concerns about anything because he was living in the moment. 
     
"When you're at a party and you see someone who may have had too many drinks don't worry about what he or she will think if you take the keys," Mr. Zablocki said. "Taking the keys could save the life of the person who's been drinking and possibly the lives of a family that's driving down the road." 
     
Mr. Zablocki also asked those in attendance to live for today, to let go of resentment, seize every opportunity that comes and to understand that people working together are much more effective than people working individually. 
     
After Mr. Zablocki finished, Airman 1st Class Chris L. Matlick, an airborne linguist with the 97th Intelligence Squadron, shared what he learned from the presentation. 
     
"Being a Wingman is not just about following, it's about working together and doing what you're supposed to," he said. 
     
Once the commander's call ended, Airmen disbursed to take part in various events across the base. 
     
This included the mega-ball challenge in the Offutt Field House where teams of eight had to maneuver a huge ball through an obstacle course of cones. Teams had to complete one section of the course while facing the ball, others facing away from the ball and even one while lying down holding the ball with their feet. 
     
Airman 1st Class Kenneth L. Balderrama, a medical logistician with the 55th Medical Support Squadron, competed in the mega-ball challenge and said it was a great event to foster teamwork. 
     
"The event was very challenging and everyone had to be on the same page to get the job done," he said. 
     
"This is what Wingman Day is all about," Airman Balderrama added, "working as a team, bringing Airmen together and focusing on teamwork. Without your Wingman you can't get your job accomplished." 
     
Teams also participated in the build-a-boat races in the OFH. During this event, teams had one hour to construct a boat using cardboard, control valve pipes and duct tape. The teams then selected two members to get in the boat and paddle it to one end of the pool, before turning around and paddling back to the finish. 
    
The blind maze event, also in the OFH, offered teams of 10 an opportunity to navigate their way, blindfolded, through four obstacles including a table, six foam tubes and aerobic fitness steps. Teams received instructions on when to move, turn or get down from a team leader who called out instructions. 
     
Airman 1st Class Ruby R. Kelley, a medical technician with the 55th Medical Operations Squadron, competed in the blind maze event and said teamwork is what allowed her team to finish. 
     
"To navigate through the course we had to work together and rely on each other," Airman Kelley said. "If one person had broken the chain or we didn't have our team leader we couldn't have completed the maze." 
    
Airman Kelley also said that she's thankful Offutt has events like Wingman Day. 
     
People sometimes lose "the Wingman concept at home or at a party so it's great to have an event like Wingman Day where we can have fun and enjoy the company of co-workers," she said. "Events like this help build camaraderie and help us see our co-workers as family."