Airmen exhibit excellent resilience Published May 23, 2013 By Lt. Col. Carolyn Coleman 570th Global Mobility Readiness Squadron commander TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Spring is a time of great change. The fields are filling with flowers, the cow population around the base seems to have grown overnight, temperatures are on the rise, and the pollen is wreaking havoc on our senses. This turn of the seasons represents nature's own way of being resilient. Every day, the environment around us is making that gradual transition where you can see it is bouncing back and starting new. All of these changes in the past month have caused me to reflect on just how resilient I have been throughout my own life and how I have bounced back - even when I didn't realize it at the time. Uprooting my family and belongings every two to three years has required an incredible amount of flexibility followed by an equally significant adjustment period. Each move, we have made it through and bounced back, but not without great stress. Despite all the stress and pain that goes with each move, we realized we were able to live in some pretty amazing locations, make new friends and experience things we otherwise would not have. My 1-year-deployment with only two week's notice was another source of stress for me. The angst and grief I felt about having to leave my family with such short notice gradually faded over time and I, again, bounced back. From this experience, I was able to travel to many new places, work with a variety of military and civilian professionals and had many wonderful opportunities that I otherwise would have not had. Most recently, my resiliency was tested with the birth of my daughter. The pregnancy itself was the easy part. It has been the bouncing back that has been the real challenge. The stress of having to get back into shape and fit in my pre-pregnancy uniforms after having a cesarean birth has been immense. Words cannot even begin to explain the amount of pressure I feel every day. It has been a test both mentally and physically. As hard as it is for me to see, I have slowly made progress and am bouncing back. Each time I look at my beautiful baby girl, I'm reminded of just how resilient I am and how much she is worth it. As I thought through my resiliency experiences the more I realized that being an Airman is synonymous with being resilient. Throughout its existence, the Air Force has been a resilient entity changing with the times and adjusting to mission needs. It's ingrained in who we are as individuals and Airmen. Juggling work, family, fitness and personal time require us to bounce from event to event and be in many places. It's easy to get frustrated and stressed with it all, but you can't let it overwhelm you. The key to being resilient is knowing your limits, being patient with yourself and recognizing when you need help. Sometimes you will bounce back quickly and sometimes it will take a long time. You are a lot more resilient than you realize. It isn't always easy, but you have got to keep looking for the positive in each situation. My post-pregnancy journey has been slow and there have been many setbacks, but I continue to move forward because I know that eventually I will bounce back.