
OKLAHOMA Metropolis —
Airmen, family members and close friends encountered lions, tigers and bears during the 137th Distinctive Operations Wing “Zoo Right after Dark” celebration held Sept. 8, 2023, at the Oklahoma Metropolis Zoo.


All around 1,300 people today went the place the wild points are all through the Airman and Loved ones Readiness (AFR) business office event, created attainable making use of Preservation of the Power and Family members (POTFF) funding.


“Most of our (POTFF) functions are held at the unit or squadron stage, and sometimes at a group amount, with 100 to 200 folks,” explained Jim Beaty, Air Power Specific Functions Command neighborhood assistance application manager. “What is distinctive about this celebration is the size, with a great deal of the achievements because of (the AFR program supervisor) Tracy Poindexter and how she has advertised it, labored with the community for partnerships and made so a lot of sources readily available.”


The mission of the POTFF is to enhance and sustain Unique Operations Forces mission readiness, longevity, and performance via integrated and holistic human overall performance programs made to fortify the pressure and relatives. The 137th Airman and Loved ones Readiness application utilized for the resources in 2021 and held the initial “Zoo Just after Dark” celebration in August last 12 months.


“We have questioned our Airmen how we can do greater at encouraging develop connections with their workplaces and family members, and this is one of the ways we are making an attempt to use that suggestions,” claimed Col. Shelby Dreyer, 137th SOW deputy commander. “Having this celebration off of foundation enables our Airmen to commit time with their family members absent from their workspaces and places the emphasis on going through that time jointly.”


Have you ever observed an elephant fly? Regrettably the Asian elephants at the zoo did not have ears as big as Dumbo, but the night was crammed with activities, including an elephant demonstration, a dance efficiency celebrating Hispanic Heritage Thirty day period and a scavenger hunt that took individuals to resource sellers and animal exhibits.


“This celebration offers us the opportunity to display our people the resources the Airman and Family Readiness office environment has to support them, but it also permits household and friends to be introduced closer into our Guard family,” explained Dreyer. “It also enables us to provide our Airmen into the neighborhood for an celebration that appeals to any age and family members framework without having the burden of cost currently being on them or the unit.”


1 of the 5 POTFF domains incorporates family cohesion as a component. Distinctive functions can involve repeated separations that entail delicate, high-chance and secretive missions, which spots a special hardship on the people of operators. Building chances to forge more powerful bonds although residence is the key concentrate of the funding.


“The POTFF software throughout the board is a readiness application, but it’s also a resiliency system, and we use all those cash to assist Airmen do their element for the mission in the most impactful way even though also connecting them to improved realize the significance of the roles every person performs,” said Beaty. “We definitely feel that by optimizing an individual’s performance, they will place that again into their perform which will aid with mission achievements.”


Beaty also noted that the timing of the party was very distinctive in contrast to lively-obligation activities because it was held around a schooling weekend. Guardsmen meet one particular weekend just about every thirty day period to maintain their readiness and coaching, so timing the event to coincide with the teaching weekend meant users could also convey their families.


“Most Guard families are not co-situated geographically with the base, so if they are coming to the function from a few hours away, they are capable to network with anyone who may well be capable to assistance them link them to the device as effectively,” stated Beaty.


Even though the party is a chance to hook up with relatives in the neighborhood group, a person point is sure: getting time for households to have Hakuna Matata ain’t no passin’ trend for the wing.



