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Airmen take a leap of faith

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class BrieAnna Stillman
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  For many people, stepping out of their comfort zone or straying away from their daily routine is something they would prefer not to do.

Staying in the comfort of the known, rather than going into the unknown holds people back from doing things that, in the end, could benefit them.

Chaplain (Capt.) James Finley, 20th Fighter Wing chaplain, hosted a “leap of faith” for 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron troops. The leap of faith gave Airmen the opportunity to jump out of an airplane and tandem skydive.

“The four points I would like Airman to take away from this experience are: do your homework, face any obstacle or fear, don’t go at it alone and take a leap of faith,” said Finley.

When doing homework, Finley said Airmen must assess the situation, look up information that may further their knowledge and ask others about their experiences. Facing obstacles or fears is easier to do after gathering information and becoming more comfortable with the situation.

After becoming more comfortable with the obstacles that lie ahead, Finley suggests you ask for a wingman to go at the obstacle alongside you so you don’t have to go at it alone. These three steps lead to the final stage of taking that leap of faith and stepping out of your comfort zone.

Before jumping, Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Coleman, 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron munitions systems specialist said, “I am kind of scared to do this and honestly I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to do it, but I think this will definitely give me a different perspective on being more adventurous and stepping out of my comfort zone more often.”

Many times the fear of the unknown is what stops Airmen from taking that leap of faith. But, being resilient and bouncing back no matter the outcome is what sets Airmen apart from others.

After jumping, Coleman went on to say, “I was so scared when they first opened the door and that’s kind of when my resilience kicked in and I was like ‘you know I need to do this and I didn’t come up here for nothing.’ Out of the four things Chaplain Finley had mentioned earlier that I really took to heart is not going at it alone and I had my ammo family to share this experience with.”

After the ammo troops took this leap of faith, many of them gained a new outlook on stepping out of their comfort zones and feeling accomplished by doing so.