Lt. Col. Shirley Rodriguez, CAP, National CDI
Over the duration of our course sessions, we were given a lot of facts, theories, and material to absorb. As I reviewed the information presented during this course (slides, videos, course material and discussions4 ), I can now say, Character Development is an on-going and ever-evolving series of thought processes and practices. Students were introduced to new and useful applications and processes that could be taken back to our units and put into practice.
Gaining useful knowledge and learning new skills and insights is always a positive outcome at any training event and the Advanced Character Development course was no exception. I now have a broader perspective and understanding from various viewpoints that I can now incorporate in my professional life by being the most effective CDI, CSS that I can be.
In Session #15 , we learned a lot about the different types of theories and applications. My key takeaway here was of the varied missions of the Chaplain Corps members and how all of us can influence, train, and promote the Civil Air Patrol Core Values throughout our roles within CAP.6 Having a good understanding of the types of Ethical Theories and their applications7 can assist all of us by applying the relevant concepts in our various training, learning, and teaching styles.
In Session #2,8 we were introduced to Moral Theories and Application, where I had a few key takeaways. First, from the discussions of Piaget, Erickson’s, Kohlberg’s Psychosocial Development, and Fowler’s Stages of Spiritual Development.9 I personally gained a greater insight into my Squadron members (Cadets and Seniors) thought processes and their levels of learning experiences.
I can now reflect on what the experts in the field had to say as in the case of Sharon Daloz Parks and Marcia Baxter Magolda10 and incorporate some of their concepts into my various training presentations. One theme that was constant in session #2 was the importance of communication11 and the impact it has on all of us not only in the Civil Air Patrol but in our daily lives.
I found the section on Understanding Yourself and Others and the Coat of Arms12 to be especially poignant. How many times throughout our lives have we been told that we must know ourselves and what type of personality we possess to understand why we behave the way we do. Self-awareness is a continues, evolving process throughout our professional and personal lives.
In 1978, when I was going through the induction process for the US Army, I was given a series of phycological and personality tests. Up to that point, I had no idea why I felt and acted the way I did. After reviewing the results of those tests, it was as if my brain had been illuminated and I now understood my behavioral traits.
The information provided in the section, Profiles Under Stress13 was very relevant given today’s stressors in society and in our lives. When you think of the various teaching, mentoring, and training environments we participate in we can take the applicable concepts of this material and apply it within our Civil Air Patrol activities.
Session #5, Wellness and Resilience14 was another very poignant section given all that is currently going on in our society. You cannot listen to or watch any news outlet without hearing of all the travesties around us. The need for wellness and resilience has never been more prevalent given our current societal climate and the negative impact of social media platforms influencing our youth.
As the slides on suicide15 pointed out, the Civil Air Patrol represents multiple risk groups. Fully understanding the impact and awareness of suicide and the toll it takes is key surrounding meaningful discussions. I really appreciated the opportunity to develop a Suicide Prevention Action Plan which I submitted to my Squadron Commander for review, approval and use within our Squadron.
With two (2) plus years of enduing lock-downs, lack of social interactions, being denied the opportunity for in-person class room learning in our schools, it is no wonder our youth are suffering the after-effects. When we hear of all the needless deaths in our country, one of the prominate factors seems to be mental health. Of course, there are a mired of causes of mental health in both adults and applying the concepts16 provided in this training session and is a valuable resource for all our Civil Air Patrol members.
As Civil Air Patrol members and especially members of the Chaplain Corps, we have an obligation and duty to bring Wellness and Resilience to the forefront within our CAP activities. There are a lot of tools we can utilize when we incorporate wellness and resilience training and this session touched on a few.17 Schlossberg’s Transition Theory18 gave us a some really good insights into just how much outside factors have a direct impact on our behavior.
In conclusion, I want to personally thank all those involved in preparing and presenting this first Advanced Character Development Course. To all our presenters, staff, and our attendees, I thank you for the time and effort you put into this training course. I found the sessions not only informative and thought provoking, but very worthwhile of my time spent in this course.