Moody puts new, interactive spin on Wingman Day Published Dec. 3, 2007 By Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel 23rd Wing Public Affairs MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- -- Team Moody is scheduled to conduct a full day of events designed to highlight a culture of responsible decision-making for the annual Wingman Day Dec. 7. The event's organizers tried a different approach to planning activities in an effort to deviate from the standard briefings that can sometimes render information dull or uninteresting, said Col. Kenneth Todorov, 23rd Wing commander. "Now more than ever, being a good wingman is vital to accomplishing our mission," said Colonel Todorov. "One of my objectives with Wingman Day is to ensure this message is communicated to Airmen in a way they find interactive and entertaining, helping them stay engaged and retain the information. Many people from around the wing have worked to achieve this goal, and I'm confident Moody Airmen will be happy with the final product." Wingman Day is a mandatory event not only for Airmen, but all Team Moody civilians and contractors. The day's activities are scheduled to start at 7 a.m. with a five-kilometer run around Moody's flightline. The run is intended to represent the physical fitness and healthy lifestyle culture inherent to being a modern Airman, said Lt. Col. James Buchman, 23rd Wing director of staff. "The run serves as a great way to kick-off Wingman Day by emphasizing one of the main aspects of what we are as Airmen," said Colonel Buchman. "Colonel Todorov will give opening remarks before we get the blood flowing, as we start what will be an extensive day of activities." The five-kilometer run will be followed by a visit from motivational speaker Curtis Zimmerman and breakout sessions for individual units. Buses will be available to transport Airmen to the Fuel Barn Hangar to view the speech. "Mr. Zimmerman has a very powerful message of not only being a good teammate and wingman, but also the importance of making good decisions in life," said Colonel Buchman. "He has an interactive way of getting his message across to the audience which Team Moody will find extremely entertaining." Mr. Zimmerman's appearance was personally requested by Colonel Todorov, after he witnessed his performance at a previous Air Force-related speaking engagement. In addition to speaking to Airmen, Mr. Zimmerman has performed for numerous corporations and associations around the world. "Curtis' deeply profound insight and perspective, coupled with his high energy presentations, have made him a highly sought after speaker around the military and in the private sector," said Colonel Todorov. "I guarantee that this is not your 'standard wingman day' presentation; our Airmen are going to be entertained." The unit breakout sessions are designed to build cohesion between co-workers by viewing and discussing a movie. Each unit has a choice between four full-length motion pictures depicting the importance of responsible choices. Following the movie, units will conduct group discussions pertaining to how the Wingman concept affected the movie's storyline and outcome. The movies will include "The Great Santini," "A Few Good Men," "Men of Honor" and "The Guardian." The small group setting will also allow units greater opportunities to discuss ways Airmen can continuously help each other, said Frances Elmore, Moody's Sexual Assault Resource Coordinator and Wingman Day organizer. "Dividing Airmen into their particular units to watch these movies can help us recognize the positive impacts of making responsible decisions in our daily lives," said Mrs. Elmore. "We'll focus primarily on responsible drinking behavior, identifying and helping troubled Airmen, and implementing proper decision making. The goal is to strengthen the morale of our units and encourage spending time in a non-structured environment." According to Mrs. Elmore, the Wingman Concept roots lay back in World War I when pilots decided to fly in formation to support each other and avoid becoming a lone target. Former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. (ret.) John Jumper instituted an Air Force-wide Wingman Day in an effort to emphasize the impact of team work and camaraderie. "I'm convinced this will be the best Wingman Day ever held at Moody," she said. "We're moving in a new direction by removing the power point presentation at the base theatre and giving Team Moody a more interactive event." While Moody's Wingman Day only comes once a year, the message of cohesion and responsibility should be practiced at all times, said Colonel Todorov. "Every Airman is a Wingman, on or off-duty," he said. "While Friday's program is an opportunity to think about our responsibilities as wingmen, it's important to remember 'Wingman Day' is really a 7/24/365 effort. "Being a good wingman centers on our Airmen, family and friends," the colonel added. "These are the centerpieces of overcoming our stressors and taking care of each other, so all of us can focus on accomplishing the 23rd Wing mission." A schedule for the showing of Mr. Zimmerman's speech and corresponding bus routes are listed below: - 10 - 11:30 a.m. for the 820th Security Forces Group, 347th Rescue Group, 23rd Medical Group and 23rd Component Maintenance Squadron - Noon - 1:30 p.m. for the 23rd Mission Support Group, 23rd Fighter Group, 23rd Wing Staff and 23rd Maintenance Operations Squadron - 2 - 3:30 p.m. for the 23rd Maintenance Group Buses are scheduled to run from 9:30 - 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 - 4 p.m. The Fuel Barn Hangar, Moody Field Club, 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron, Building 757, base theater and 23rd CES Fire Department are points for pick-up and drop-off for the buses. Due to the day-long events, several base agencies will have limited customer service capabilities. Customers should check with specific agencies for further details.