A beacon to those in need, Wright-Patt opens ‘Resiliency Center’

The headquarters of the 88th Air Base Wing, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. THOMAS GNAU/STAFF

The headquarters of the 88th Air Base Wing, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. THOMAS GNAU/STAFF

For those who need help on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a knock on one door may get them going on the road to resolution.

Wright-Patterson leaders opened the base’s newly christened Resiliency Center this week.

Found in Building 219 at 5030 Pearson Road, the center was conceived last year in response to the Air Force’s “No Wrong Door” imperative, which emphasizes that those who seek help will be assisted in finding that help, base leaders said.

The office is centrally located on the base’s Area A and is already home to several agencies, including the Chaplain Corps, the base Equal Opportunity Office, Integrated Prevention and Resilience Office, Employee Assistance Program, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program, and Victims’ Counsel.

Capt. Erica Wolf, deputy sexual assault response coordinator at Wright-Patterson, said in an interview that recommendations from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on helping victims of sexual abuse helped guide the thinking behind the new center.

“Essentially as the name suggests, there is no wrong door in seeking help,” Wolf said. “So regardless of what people need, they can come to this Resiliency Center, one building, and anyone whom they see or speak to here in this building will ensure that they get to the correct agency to best help them with their needs.”

The office is open to anyone who has access to the base, uniformed or civilian, resident or non-resident. Confidentiality will be protected, and there is “discreet” parking at the back of the building, Wolf said.

The building is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but there are multiple helping offices on the base with 24-7 capacity should needs arise after hours.

One overarching phone number people may try for help is the Wright-Patterson connect hotline at (844) 972-6663. (For more information, visit https://military-connect.org/wp-connect/.)

The base Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team hotline (937-257-7272) and the chaplain’s hotline (937-257-7427) can be called 24/7.

If outside agencies are best suited to answer a need, that information will be shared, Wolf said.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base image.

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“We are the only third base in AFMC (Air Force Material Command), at least, that has this Resiliency Center or something similar set up,” Wolf said, echoing remarks that Col. Travis Pond, deputy commander of the 88th Air Base Wing, has made.

AFMC has offices and missions on multiple bases, but the command is headquartered at Wright-Patterson.

Wright-Patterson, with more than 35,000 military and civilian employees, is one of the nation’s largest Air Force bases and is the largest single concentration of employment in the state of Ohio.

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