It Takes a Team to Build Family Resilience

  • Published
  • By Jim Varhegyi, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFLCMC) --- On a recent beautiful Saturday afternoon, a group of family members and helping agency representatives from Wright-Patterson gathered at a horse farm just outside of Dayton, Ohio, for a horsemanship class meant to foster resilience and build camaraderie in a traditionally underserved community.
 
Sixteen families from the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), representatives from the base chapel community, and the base’s EFMP coordinator’s office traveled to Dusty Britches Equestrian to learn some lessons about being around and working with very large animals. The group learned how to safely approach and move around a horse. They learned how to groom a horse and then tack it up, which means putting on a saddle and bridal. They then learned how to safely mount a horse and take it for a ride around the farm’s arena.
 
Dual hatted as the 88th Air Base Wing Chaplain and the AFLCMC lead Chaplain, Col. Joshua Payne noted that this event was the first chance to build a community effort between the base’s Chaplain Corps and the EFMP office. He explained that the various helping agencies on base are looking for synergistic ways to better serve all the various communities on and around the installation.
 
“There is no wrong door to enter across our helping agency community when it comes to building strong, resilient families,” said Payne.
 
Payne pointed to a recent memo sent to the entire Air Force from Gen. David Allvin, Air Force Chief of Staff, as inspiration to do more of these types of activities. In the memo, Allvin explained that any effort to prepare the force for future challenges would be incomplete without a parallel focus on family readiness. He went on to say that everyone in the Air Force community needs to work together to improve resilience across the community and encouraged everyone to get involved and find innovative ways to meet future challenges. In the memo, Allvin highlighted the revitalization of the Commander’s Key Support Program (CKSP), redesignating volunteers as Key Support Liaisons (KSLs). He noted that this effort would offer a wider pool of volunteers to actively advance family readiness objectives at the unit level. 
 
The Air Force’s EFMP strives to work with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical, and personnel services to families with special needs. The EFMP’s overarching goal is to work with service members and their families and ensure they are sent to the right duty locations to meet their needs and not exclude them.
 
Jackie Shazor, the EFMP coordinator for Wright-Patterson, explained that her office worked with the installation’s chaplain’s corps to organize the equestrian event. The collaborative effort was made easier by the recent standup of the Resiliency Center at Wright-Patterson, which opened in July 2024. Shazor explained that more than 1,000 families are registered in the EFMP program at Wright-Patt and that each family has unique needs.
 
Col. Olivia “Pi” Elliott, AFLCMC Director of Safety, explained that EFMP events like this are very important to her family.
 
“It offers us the opportunity to connect with other members in our military community who face similar challenges in our personal lives,” said Elliott. “It gives Madeleine [Elliott’s eight-year-old daughter] the opportunity to meet and get to know other children who face similar struggles in their daily lives.”
 
Elliott also explained that events like this provide a safe, structured environment for kids like Madeleine to try new things outside of their normal comfort zone.  
 
“Today’s goal was to create a fun and safe environment to enjoy these really cool animals,” said Chelsea Moser, an assistant riding instructor at Dusty Britches. She explained that the horses were specifically selected for the event for their intuitive and gentle nature. “These horses can sense when they need to take care of their riders.”
 
The team at Dusty Britches works to develop confident, well-rounded riders who can take charge of their personal growth.
 
Moser said she thought everyone had a good time and could see the group’s confidence grow as the day progressed—a sentiment echoed by one of the participant families.
 
“Anytime we can get our kids to try new things, it helps to boost their confidence,” said Rebecca Kuhnel, whose nine-year-old daughter Riley participated in the day’s events.
 
Riley’s dad, 1st Lt. Joshua Kuhnel, an engineer for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Intelligence Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Special Operations Forces Directorate, lauded the event organizers, explaining that they demystified seeking out help and made it extremely easy for his family to sign up for and participate in the program.
 
Terry Parsons, Wright-Patt’s Protestant Parish Coordinator, made the initial connection between the EFMP office and the horse farm. Her daughter rides at Dusty Britches, which has helped her overcome anxiety issues. Parsons explained that being around large animals such as horses is empowering and helps people believe they can do hard things. She sensed that being around the horses could help the EFMP families.
 
Parsons explained that the collaborative effort would not have happened without a team coming together to help the entire community.
 
In wrapping up the day’s activities, Chaplain Payne thanked the families for coming out for the first of many events geared toward building strong, resilient families throughout Wright-Patterson. 

Young riders learn how to work around horses during a horsemanship class

It Takes a Team to Build Resilient Families

Chelsea Moser (top right), an assistant riding instructor at Dusty Britches Equestrian explains the parts of a saddle during a horsemanship class at a farm just outside of Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2024. Moser led the class for sixteen families from the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Representatives from the base chapel community and the base’s EFMP coordinator’s office collaborated to create the event to foster resilience and build camaraderie in a traditionally underserved community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
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Young riders learn how to work around horses during a horsemanship class

It Takes a Team to Build Resilient Families

Chelsea Moser (left), an assistant riding instructor at Dusty Britches Equestrian helps a young rider into the saddle during a horsemanship class at a farm just outside of Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2024. Moser led the class for sixteen families from the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Representatives from the base chapel community and the base’s EFMP coordinator’s office collaborated to create the event to foster resilience and build camaraderie in a traditionally underserved community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Young riders learn how to work around horses during a horsemanship class

It Takes a Team to Build Resilient Families

Sixteen families from the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and representatives from the base chapel community, and the base’s EFMP coordinator’s office gathered at a horse farm just outside of Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2024, for a horsemanship class meant to foster resilience and build camaraderie in a traditionally underserved community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

Young riders learn how to work around horses during a horsemanship class

It Takes a Team to Build Resilient Families

Nine-year-old Riley Kuhnel (pink hoodie) learns how to tack up a horse during a horsemanship class at a farm just outside of Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2024. Riley, her mom Rebecca Kuhnel, and her dad, 1st Lt Joshua Kuhnel, who is an engineer for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Intelligence Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Special Operations Forces Directorate, were part of sixteen families from the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to participate in the class. Representatives from the base chapel community, and the base’s EFMP coordinator’s office collaborated to create the event to foster resilience and build camaraderie in a traditionally underserved community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Young riders learn how to work around horses during a horsemanship class

It Takes a Team to Build Resilient Families

Sixteen families from the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and representatives from the base chapel community, and the base’s EFMP coordinator’s office gathered at a horse farm just outside of Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2024, for a horsemanship class meant to foster resilience and build camaraderie in a traditionally underserved community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Young riders learn how to work around horses during a horsemanship class

It Takes a Team to Build Resilient Families

Col. Olivia “Pi” Elliott (left) watches as her eight-year-old daughter Madeleine works on grooming a horse during a horsemanship class at a farm just outside of Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2024. Elliott is the Director of Safety for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. She and her daughter were part of sixteen families from the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to participate in the class. Representatives from the base chapel community, and the base’s EFMP coordinator’s office collaborated in creating the event to foster resilience and build camaraderie in a traditionally underserved community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
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Young riders learn how to work around horses during a horsemanship class

It Takes a Team to Build Resilient Families

Col. Joshua Payne (left) talks with some of family members from the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, following a horsemanship class at a horse farm just outside of Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2024. Payne is dual hatted as the 88th Air Base Wing Chaplain and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s lead Chaplain at Wright-Patt. Payne along with representatives from the base chapel community, and the base’s EFMP coordinator’s office devised the event to foster resilience and build camaraderie in a traditionally underserved community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Young riders learn how to work around horses during a horsemanship class

It Takes a Team to Build Resilient Families

Sixteen families from the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and representatives from the base chapel community, and the base’s EFMP coordinator’s office gathered at a horse farm just outside of Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2024, for a horsemanship class meant to foster resilience and build camaraderie in a traditionally underserved community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Young riders learn how to work around horses during a horsemanship class

It Takes a Team to Build Resilient Families

Rebecca Kuhnel (right), walks with her nine-year-old daughter Riley who’s in the saddle during a horsemanship class at a horse farm just outside of Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2024. Riley’s dad, 1st Lt. Joshua Kuhnel, is an engineer for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Intelligence Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Special Operations Forces Directorate. The Rileys were part of sixteen families from the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to participate in the class. Representatives from the base chapel community, and the base’s EFMP coordinator’s office collaborated in creating the event to foster resilience and build camaraderie in a traditionally underserved community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Young riders learn how to work around horses during a horsemanship class

It Takes a Team to Build Resilient Families

Col. Olivia “Pi” Elliott (right) walks with her eight-year-old daughter Madeleine who’s in the saddle during a horsemanship class at a horse farm just outside of Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2024. Elliott is the Director of Safety for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. She and her daughter were part of sixteen families from the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to participate in the class. Representatives from the base chapel community, and the base’s EFMP coordinator’s office collaborated in creating the event to foster resilience and build camaraderie in a traditionally underserved community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
Photo Details / Download Hi-Res