Grand Forks AFB hosts Spouses' Town Hall Meeting

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Susan L. Davis
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Col. Christopher Mann, 319th Air Base Wing interim commander, met with Grand Forks Air Force Base spouses at the Community Activity Center here April 10, 2013, for a spouses' town hall meeting.

Presenters from the Airman & Family Readiness Center, base chapel, mental health clinic, as well as a Military Family Life Counselor, spoke to attendees about a range of topics, focusing in particular on services and resources available to them on base.

U.S. Public Health Service Cmdr. Anthony Tranchita, 319th Medical Operations Squadron mental health clinic, spoke about Seasonal Affective Disorder, its symptoms and how to mitigate it.

"If you've been feeling the winter blues this season, experiencing depression, fatigue, oversleeping, carbohydrate or sugar cravings, it could have something to do with a vitamin D deficiency in your system," Tranchita said. "Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD."

He explained that vitamin D can be found in many sources, such as milk and vitamin supplements, but the best source is direct sunlight making contact with the skin.

"With the winters as long and harsh as they are here, exposure to sunlight during the winter months can be extremely limited," he said. "There are lamps called SAD lights that mimic natural sunlight, that are just as effective as medication, but without the side effects. They are available for purchase in the marketplace, or there is one at the Health and Wellness Center relaxation room here on base."

Following Tranchita's presentation was Ch. (Maj.) Steven Dabbs, wing chaplain, with a briefing on the top five marital needs of couples.

He explained his strategy for counseling couples, whether they come for pre-marital counseling, vow renewals, or marital enrichment.

"I always ask, 'What strategy did you use to ensure you have a lifelong successful marriage?'" he said. "Most of the time, both partners just look at me and shrug their shoulders because they don't know what I'm talking about."

He explained that spouses knowing each other's top five needs in a marriage will help give them the tools to come up with this strategy to make a happy, lifelong commitment to one another.

"How did you and your spouse fall in love in the first place?" he said. "Loving actions gave way to loving feelings. In order to keep those feelings going, you've got to persist with those loving actions."

Rhonda Boatwright, Military Family Life Counselor, then briefed attendees on staying positive in negative situations.

"Sometimes you can't just wait for your feelings toward a certain situation to change, you have to take action," she said.

Boatwright encouraged listeners to take control of their station in life by owning their feelings as well as their actions, and to surround themselves with positive people.

"Instead of asking yourself why, ask how. If you ask yourself why, you'll never get an answer, but if you ask how, 'How is it that I'm in this situation right now, how can I cope?' you can start answering those questions immediately on your own. How is much more powerful than why."

She also explained that the MFLC program is a free service that is partnered with the chaplain program and mental health.

Mann offered the closing remarks, relaying the story he and his wife experienced on Sept. 11, 2001.

"We were moving to Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina when we heard the news about the planes crashing into the Twin Towers," he said. "At that moment, I told my wife that with these new events, I would probably be deploying and flying missions as soon as we got to Charleston, and I was right."

He explained that he hated having to leave her behind in a place where she didn't know anyone, didn't know her way around, and she could never be entirely assured of his safety while he was deployed.

"That's why these programs are so important," he said. "Our job is taking care of our Airmen and our families. That is mission focus. And we want you to know that you do have access to your base leadership."

Mann then opened the floor for questions. He said there will be more town halls like this one forthcoming, and extended an open invitation to anyone who is interested in coming.