By Andrea Navarro
Director, Army Wellness Center
Fort George G. Meade Launches New “Wellness Everywhere” Campaign
In a team effort to improve the well-being of the Fort Meade community, Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center and Fort Meade Resource partners recently launched the new “Wellness Everywhere” Campaign.
“Wellness Everywhere” encourages behaviors that improve daily life by targeting components of nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and injury prevention. The program also fosters collaboration efforts across Fort Meade by connecting individuals with specific goals to each other and to resources that support achieving them.
“It’s all about creating a culture and environment that promotes physical, emotional and spiritual health and wellness at all levels of the organization,” said Col. Tracy Michael, commander, Fort Meade Medical Department Activity. “The Wellness Everywhere campaign seeks to foster that positive culture, connect the community and recognize individuals who excel at reaching their goals.”
Last year was a difficult year filled with unanticipated mental, physical and emotional challenges. For some, it was an opportunity to learn new skills, discover new hobbies or focus on health. For others, surviving each day was an accomplishment.
“A new year is traditionally a time when people make resolutions and renewed pledges to improve their lifestyle,” said Michael. During this time of persistent change, the Wellness Everywhere Campaign may offer you an opportunity to make a change for the better.
Wellness Champ Initiative
One initiative of the program is the selection of a Wellness Champ. Each quarter, community partners that make up the Wellness Management Working Group collect nominations and select a Wellness Champ. The Wellness Champ will be a group or individual who demonstrates a commitment to improving their personal wellness and the wellness culture around them.
The first Fort Meade Wellness Champ was awarded to Army Capt. Calvin Schoonover, Environmental Health Chief, KACC, for achieving a perfect score on the new Army Combat Fitness Test. The ACFT is a rigorous test that challenges a Soldier’s speed, agility, physical and mental strength, and endurance. Doing well requires a commitment to health and fitness beyond training for a few weeks before test time. “Captain Schoonover is an excellent example of a Wellness Champ: Someone who leads both in action and support of others,” said Michael.
Schoonover said he regularly worked out at Gaffney Fitness Center during his lunch break with a focus on improving his speed for the two-mile run portion of the test because it is the last of six events and there is a higher degree of fatigue.
In addition to achieving his personal fitness goals, Schoonover prioritized helping the other Soldiers in the Environmental Health department achieve theirs by providing the accountability and culture that helped them to be successful.
“I made simple suggestions,” Schoonover said. “I recommended they utilize the Army Wellness Center to identify opportunities for improvement and then supported them as they implemented the changes.”
As the Wellness Everywhere campaign evolves, Michael said leaders of the Fort Meade community resource programs plan to continue finding new and innovative ways to engage the community and foster connection while prioritizing health and safety in a COVID environment.
“We encourage you to consider what changes might positively affect your physical, emotional, or spiritual health, and what you can do to improve the wellness culture around you,” said Michael.
For additional information, or to nominate a Wellness Champ, contact the Army Wellness Center at fortmeadewellness@gmail.com.