Dr. Suzie Carmack of MUIH Leads Well-Being Training for USAF


Dr. Suzie Carmack, PhD, MFA, MEd, ERYT 500, C-IAYT, NBC-HWC, PCC, Chair of the Department of Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda at Maryland University of Integrative Health, has been invited by Col. Lauren Courchaine, USAF, commander of the 37thTraining Wing (37thTRW) to bring her Well-Being Ultimatum Leadership Training (WBU-LT) intervention to the airmen, civilians, and family members of the 37thTRW in 2023. Based on Dr. Carmack’s #1 best-selling book Well-Being Ultimatum and developed over the past 7 years through her global well-being research and partnerships with multiple organizations and government agencies, the WBU-LT is a comprehensive 10-month training program dedicated to creating a culture of compassionate leadership in order to optimize worker well-being; team engagement and leadership; and organizational performance outcomes.

“After spending the last 7 years refining this program, the past 4 years partnering with Col. Courchaine to promote well-being throughout the Air Force, and the last 6 months working closely with Lt Col Dhillon and her team in the 37thTRW Human Performance Directorate to prepare for this program launch, I can tell you that I am deeply honored to be here and to Serve those who Serve!” said Dr. Carmack. “I could not be more grateful for Lt Col Dhillon’s and Col Courchaine’s willingness to bring the science of compassionate leadership forward in this bold way to the Gateway Wing of the Air Force. Together we aim to co-create team and organizational cultures that both promote and protect well-being – at the individual, team, and organizational levels. My research and the research of many other scientists tell us that this approach will not only benefit the mission and culture of the 37thTRW – it will also reduce risks for the diseases of despair that are so prevalent in military cultures (such as burnout, compassion fatigue, and suicide). We know it won’t always be easy, but it will most certainly be worth it!”

The 10-month WBU-LT program launched January 30thin San Antonio with a 3-day Senior Leadership “Well-Being Ultimatum Conference,” hosted by the 37th TRW Human Performance Directorate team and their Commander Lt Col Kieran Dhillon, PsyD. After spending the first two days training leaders about the science behind the program and how they can optimize their own leader well-being, Dr. Carmack trained volunteer Trainers to bring the program’s 7-workshop curriculum to the Airmen, civilians, and family members of the 37thTRW. Starting in March, each month of the program will be delivered by a Trainer at the Unit level to focus on a different dimension of well-being: comprehensive, physical, financial, social, mental, purpose, and emotional well-being. Throughout the 10-month program, Lt Col Dhillon and her Human Performance Directorate (HPD) team will support the program’s operations and evaluation, and Dr. Carmack will support Trainers in the delivery and adjustment of the curriculum based on participant feedback, in keeping with her ‘community-based participatory research’ approach to intervention design.

For more information about the WBU-LT program, contact Dr. Carmack at Scarmack@muih.edu.

About the 37th TRW:

The 37th Training Wing is the largest training wing in the Air Force and has three critical missions: force generation, technical training and security cooperation. The wing, known as the “Gateway to the Air Force,” is the only location in the Air Force that transforms civilians into Airmen and Guardians through Basic Military Training, graduating more than 30,000 each year. Additionally, the wing operates the most diverse technical training group for more than 23 different career fields, taking students to the next level of proficiency and providing them the skills needed to perform their duties worldwide. The 37 TRW also affects domestic and international defense operations through security cooperation missions at the Inter-American Air Force’s Academy (IAAFA) and the Defense Language Institute-English Language Center (DLIELC). IAAFA promotes security cooperation principles through the delivery of professional military education, technical training and aircrew training taught in Spanish, and DLIELC is the leader in English language training for the Department of Defense, building security cooperation capability through English language training and cultural immersion. Finally, the Wing is also the executive agent for the Department of Defense Military Working Dog program — the world’s largest working dog school and is the sole source of training for all DoD MWD handlers, kennel trainers, and kennel masters. Learn more at http://www.37trw.af.mil.

About Maryland University of Integrative Health:

Maryland University of Integrative Health is one of the nation’s leading academic institutions for integrative health. Since 1974, MUIH has educated and informed practitioners and leaders in health and wellness through transformative and relationship-centered programs that draw from traditional wisdom and contemporary science. Progressive graduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines are offered both on campus and online. A distinctive community of scholars, researchers, practitioners, and advocates, Maryland University of Integrative Health promotes whole-person, relationship-centered healthcare. Through discovery and exploration, we deliver progressive educational programs, advance innovative clinical models, build mutually beneficial partnerships, and provide opportunities for fulfilling careers. Serving as a leader in the global transformation of health and wellness, we integrate healing traditions and contemporary science, acknowledge the wisdom of the body and nature as a teacher, and focus on the interconnection of mind, body, and spirit. Our work enables people to thrive through the cycles of life. Learn more at http://www.muih.edu

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