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MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga.— Life in the military presents unique challenges, from the stress of deployment to family separations, placing significant pressure on Airmen and their families. Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) work to resolve these challenges by providing crucial support to these Airmen and their families to help adapt to transitions and navigate life in the military.
By addressing and navigating through these challenges, they help ensure Airmen can maintain their mental and emotional readiness, enabling them to stay focused and prepared for their mission.
For one Airman assigned to the 23rd Wing, the MFLC program provided crucial, free, face-to-face counseling that helped them overcome personal challenges and improve their well-being.
“The military is one of the highest stressed career fields someone can be in, and if we want to have the strongest force possible, we need our people to be mentally healthy as well as physically,” said the Airman. “I can honestly say I wasn’t at my best, mentally, on a lot of days before I got help from the MFLC.”
MFLCs play a key role in building resilience, supporting mental health, and ensuring Airmen and their families remain mission-ready, contributing to operational readiness.
“MFLCs are a valuable addition to treating mental health concerns,” said 1st Lt Capri Delvaux, 23rd Medical Group family advocacy officer. “The role is beneficial due to their accessibility and convenience, and support for everyday challenges. Because MFLCs off non-medical counseling, members may be more willing to speak to our MFLCs without the fear of their career being impacted.”
Delvaux continued to explain that the MFLC program takes a unique approach to counseling, focusing on building resilience, coping skills, and providing support, which is well suited to meet the needs of military families.
This approach resonated with the Airman, who shared past experiences, which had taken a toll on them, prompted the decision to reach out to an MFLC, recognizing the need for someone who could offer an objective perspective and understood the challenges of military life.
The MFLC program includes counselors that hold a master’s degree or doctorate-level license, who offer a variety of confidential services, ensuring Airmen and their families have a safe space to discuss concerns without judgment. Counselors assist with individual, couples and family counseling, as well as provide group sessions. There is also an opportunity for the MFLC to host briefings and presentations to installations on vital topics and life-skill building.
“I would categorize the type of support I received from the MFLC as general life counseling, emotional counseling, or just learning how to cope with things,” the Airman said. “It honestly felt good to just sit and get things off of my chest without any kind of judgement or fear of a bunch of people knowing the intricacies of my personal life.”
The Airman’s experience highlights the unique approach of MFLCs, who create a supportive, judgment-free environment for service members to address personal struggles. These counselors provide short-term, non-medical counseling to service members and their families. They offer support for a range of issues, including deployment stress, grief and family transitions, through psycho-education and guidance. With a focus on building trust and providing different viewpoints, MFLCs help Airmen process their emotions and develop coping strategies.
“I was nervous to be open and allow myself to be more vulnerable,” the Airman said. “The MFLC made me feel more comfortable opening-up by just getting to know me and telling me about themselves, and giving me outside perspective that was objective and helped me see things in ways I wouldn’t have without their help.”
To illustrate the impact of the MFLC program, this Airman shared their personal experience on the challenges they were facing. According to the Airman, they struggled with feelings of guilt and self-blame over negative events in their life, and were unable to break free from that mindset. With the guidance from the MFLC, they were able to reframe those thoughts.
“It wasn’t until the MFLC worded it in a way that just made it stick with me and their words somehow made sense and resonated with me,” said the Airman. “The MFLC helped to guide me to making conclusions about things that I hadn’t been able to reach on my own; I think sometimes it just takes someone else’s thought process to help move you to a direction you wouldn’t have gone on your own.”
The Airman explained that the impact was priceless, as the MFLC has helped them handle challenges more effectively than before. Based on the Airman’s positive experience with the MFLC, they encourage others to just try and seek help and explore the best options for improving their well-being.
“The support I received from the MFLC not only helped me work through things much better than before but also made me a much happier person now,” said the Airman. “I would tell a fellow Airman to just try and seek help and find someone that can help you become a happier and healthier person.”
This Airman’s experience with the MFLC exemplifies how these counselors help people build mental resilience, manage stress, and ultimately enhance their well-being and professional growth, ensuring mission readiness.
MFLCs are available at Military and Family Support Centers and are often embedded within units. Airmen and their families are able to schedule an appointment by calling 229-375-8642, contacting their First Sergeant or visiting MilitaryOneSource.com. MFLCs offer services on and off the installations as well as opportunities for virtual counselling for remote or deployed Airmen.
In addition to the standard support systems, Airmen have access to a variety of specialized resources such as True North providers that are embedded in select units, the Family Advocacy Program, Chaplain, Crisis Text Line and Give an Hour. These services ensure that Airmen have the support they need, no matter the situation.
| Date Taken: | 01.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.10.2025 13:19 |
| Story ID: | 488908 |
| Location: | MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Building resilience: How MFLC support keeps Airmen mission-ready, by A1C Savannah Carpenter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
