It Was Sooooo Good the First Time...

The Belton Museum was such a great experience with Lisa and the boys that I decided I wanted to go there again with everyone at work. The question was how to incorporate it into a military setting? The obvious answer came as a Sergeant’s Time Training (STT) experience.

At WLC, we had a section that involved Cultural Awareness and VBBNs (values, beliefs, behaviors and norms). This teaching is starting to become a little passé, but there is still a segment of it that they teach at WLC during the Warrior section of training. I even recall a question or two on the final exam we had. At any rate, this seemed like a convenient reason and I’ll show you why:

Cultural Awareness can prevent culture shock, which can impede mission successà  many of us come from a different cultural background from that which we have at Ft. Hood à It’s important that we comprehend the local culture à  the Belton Museum would educate us on the culture of the Ft. Hood area.

I whipped up a power point that explained VBBNs, and then obstacles to mission success. I prepared a Safety Matrix and reserved a time that would grant us exclusive access to the museum. I arranged ahead of time for transportation for everyone, as well as civilian coverage back at the department. What could the NCO’s say against it?

It all went off without a hitch. Everyone enjoyed the tour. We all ate lunch together right around the corner from the historic court house. Since we were so far from Ft. Hood, many of the civilians at the restaurant came up and thanked us for our service, shaking our hands and in the case of one old lady, hugging us. It brought a perceptible shift in everyone’s thinking. Many of the soldiers in the After Action Review (AAR) said it was the best STT they have ever had.

Those of you in the military (or retired military) are probably thinking, “What the heck kind of STT is that?” I would respond with, the kind that builds morale, vaguely teaches something but most of all, creates memories as a unit. We at the hospital don’t always get the chance to do that and it sure felt great!