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CoRC gives Vandenberg Airmen healthy options
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With the mission at Vandenberg demanding 100 percent success from all Team V members, it's important that every Vandenberg Airman makes good decisions -- on and off the job.
The Culture of Responsible Choices program (or CoRC) was a program created to help remind each of us the importance of making good decisions and the ill effects of making poor choices. While CoRC is not just about drug and alcohol abuse, part of Vandenberg's CoRC program involves creating activities that are fun alternatives to behaviors that are incompatible with the Air Force Core Values.
Vandenberg's latest CoRC event, sponsored by the 30th Launch Group, was a video game tournament held at the Vandenberg Center on 30 Nov.
"A lot of the times, irresponsible choices are created by the environment," said 1st Lt. Abe Barker, 30th Launch Group CoRC representative. "One of the reasons CoRC is here is so Airmen have the opportunity to do something other than drink; our goal is to improve camaraderie and have a little fun."
Around 20 people showed up to the event, ate food donated by the Vandenberg Spouses Club and used their skills to find the champion of a science fiction video game called Halo 2, a game that pits several players against each other until the last one stands.
"When the launch group decided what to do for this CoRC event, I thought back to college...and what did people do in college in their downtime? Gaming," said Lieutenant Barker. "I'd always see people sitting in the common areas or in their rooms, playing video games so I thought that this would be a fun alternative for Vandenberg members on a Friday night."
The 30th Space Wing Commander is quick to point out that Vandenberg's CoRC program is not about keeping Airmen out of the bars on a Friday night. "This program isn't just about avoiding poor choices related to drugs or alcohol," said Col. Steve Tanous, 30th Space Wing Commander. "The CoRC program is about a cultural shift, to the point where each of us is making smart choices across all areas of our lives; it's about Airmen taking care of Airmen." Col Tanous continued, "But, when you look at the statistics, you can see why we stress making smart choices concerning alcohol. Almost a third of all suicides and nearly 30 percent of all domestic violence cases involve alcohol."
Regardless, of the program's charter and intent, these CoRC events are a hit. "Events like this are important because it gives Airmen the opportunity to have fun, hang out on base instead of driving far to find stuff to do and we're doing something besides being at the bars," said Airman 1st First Class Julian Huffman, 30th Logistics Readiness squadron operator and winner of the Halo tournament. "You also get to know the other Airmen on base, which creates rapport and makes you a better wingman."
Airmen and commanders can find out more about the CoRC program at the program Web site www.afcrossroads.com/websites/corc.cfm.