JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The Joint Religious Operation Center is hosting a free Warrior Care Retreat at Alyeska Resort, Sept. 23 through 25.
The event is an opportunity for single Soldiers, Airmen and other Department of Defense partners on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to step back and recalibrate their thoughts on resiliency. Rooms and meals are included.
“It is going to be spiritually-based,” said Air Force Chaplain (Capt.) Michael Bram, “But I as a rabbi would be comfortable sending a Jewish person there, a Protestant person, a Wiccan, or even an atheist.”
The event will be a mix of team-building workshops, reflection time, hiking, and rest designed to allow participants to pursue their resiliency however they see fit.
“We’re going to Alyeska for a reason; there will be a lot of unstructured time and opportunity to take advantage of the stuff they do there,” Bram said. “There are some structured activities and a lot of time to think and process. They can do things with people, or not with people – that’s OK too. If they’re an introvert like I am, solitude is what they do for resiliency. You can be with people or if you want to be alone, that’s OK too.”
Alyeska is one of the most-visited vacation spots in the Anchorage area, and provides much more than snow skiing. Winter is just around the corner and this may be one of JBER service member’s last opportunities to hike Alyeska in the summer until next year.
“There is an RSVP and they should contact JROC or [Air Force] Staff Sgt. [George] Mena or [Air Force] Chaplain (Capt.) [Shane] Marley to get on that,” said Dr. Cindy Sena-Martinez, JROC religious education specialist. “There are 30 spaces and I think we’re about halfway full.
“We’re at Alyeska resort; these don’t come very often. If you have the opportunity – go. If you haven’t been to Girdwood, it’s a beautiful place to visit.”
To sign up, contact Mena or call the JROC at 552-5762.