COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Maj. Steven B. Templeton, rear detachment commander, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, hikes up the Manitou Springs Incline June 29, 2018, to promote mental health with his Soldiers and their Families. (Courtesy photo)
By Sgt. Daphney Black
4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Two dozen Soldiers and Family members from the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, hiked up the Manitou Incline in the early hours of June 29, 2018, to promote mental health.
The incline, which gains 2,000 feet in less than a mile, is famous for its steep grade, which many residents of the Colorado Springs area use to test their aerobic fitness or train for personal bests.
Maj. Adam T. Bennett, brigade chaplain, 4th CAB, organized the hike, which was a first for the brigade, to create synergy between physical fitness and mental health, he said.
“I wanted to do this event because I think exercise is the number one mitigating factor for depression and suicidal thoughts,” Bennett said.
Commanders often focus on physical readiness and forget there is also a spiritual and emotional aspect to Soldiers, he said.
Units can certainly benefit by focusing on mental health, Bennett said. In such an environment, Soldiers take care of themselves spiritually, emotionally and physically, and open up to those around them.
“Leaders have to be honest and vulnerable and admit when they are struggling, when they are not as healthy as they could be, because a private sometimes struggles with the exact same thing,” Bennett said.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. —Soldiers with the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, stand at the top of the Manitou Springs Incline June 29, 2018, during a hike for mental health. (Courtesy photo)
Soldiers should have confidence when talking about mental illness and know it will not affect their careers, he said. More importantly, Soldiers should be aware of the multiple resources available.
“We want to hear your issues because if you don’t talk about (it), it’s going to come out,” said Maj. Steven B. Templeton, rear detachment commander, 4th CAB. “And it’s going to come out in ways that are not always healthy.”
Family members are in the same circumstances as their Soldiers; they all are faced with unexpected challenges, he said.
By doing rigorous activities together, bonds are created and can help members of the 4th CAB in trying times.
“This is just the beginning,” said Templeton, who is already planning more similar events.