Airmen take care of Airmen on Wingman Day Published Nov. 17, 2008 By Capt. Chris McDonald 62nd Airlift Wing Commander's Action Group MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Taking care of your wingman is fundamental to our Air Force culture. McChord Airmen celebrate Wingman Day Nov. 20 with a series of events promoting the Wingman culture - taking care of fellow Airmen. The day's events include unit-level activities capped with a mandatory briefing in the base theater discussing responsible drinking, tobacco cessation and financial management. In coordination with their units, Airmen should plan to attend one of five 30-minute Wingman briefings at the base theater at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. "Throughout the wing, groups and squadrons, Wingman Day facilitators were identified to serve as the commander's point of contact for unit-level activities," said Capt. Duane Richardson, Wingman Day project officer. "This armed them with the ability to lead small-groups within their units in communicating commander-interest items in a variety of ways - the idea of Wingman Day isn't death by Powerpoint." "Issues of the day will cover a variety of specific topics," said Captain Richardson, "but the key focus is the very manner in which we take care of Airmen - providing those tools to everyone on the team." Specific Wingman Day concepts include the culture of responsible choices, responsible drinking, effective identification of -- and intervention with -- troubled Airmen, suicide prevention, sexual assault response and prevention, domestic violence intervention and prevention and financial management. "Our wingman culture connects every Airman across the globe; regardless of the unit patch we wear or specialty we bring to the fight," said Col. Jeffrey Stephenson, 62nd Airlift Wing commander. "This concept -- in fact a way of life -- defines us as Airmen," said Colonel Stephenson. "It is about more than one day; it is a culture of Airmen taking care of Airmen 24/7, 365."