Q&A with Dr. Aaron Moffett
By Mr. Brian Anderson -- Defense Media Activity
June 24, 2019
Dr. Aaron Moffett, Coach
Hometown: Wilmington, Delaware
Resides: San Antonio
Been with AFW2 for five years
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen since you joined the program? “It’s been a world of difference from then to now. Not only the size of the staff, but also the impact that we have on the warriors. Before it was just sports and a lot of us were coaching the sports, where now we have the professional coaches out there really helping them and you see the huge increase in the warriors in their resiliency and their joy for life.
When you start off at the beginning with them at the beginning of a care event it was you see them reclusive standing in a corner all by themselves where at the end of the week like we just played lean on me and they you know everybody's hugging and you know even some tears because warriors are starting to leave and you don't get that at the beginning at the beginning it's you know one for one and then at the end it's one whole family.
Aaron Moffett at the DOD Warrior Games on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. (Photo Credit: Keith Oliver)
Air Force Family Program Coordinator Jose Martinez (left), Air Force Family Program Coordinator Tonya McGough (center) and Air Force Competition Staff Aaron Moffett cheer on Team Air Force during Department of Defense Warrior Games shooting finals at the United States Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Approximately 300 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans came together to compete in the ninth edition of the Warrior Games. (Photo/Zoe L. Smith, Grady Sports Bureau)
What do you offer as a coach and mentor? I think overall as a staff what we really try to do is create a safe environment where the Warriors feel comfortable in challenging themselves. The warriors do a fantastic job of recognizing their potential and then stepping even higher than that. I think that's really what the staff tries to do -- create an environment where the warriors are comfortable challenging themselves. A lot of times just getting off the couch and coming to a care event is a huge challenge and then you see them grow throughout the week. I think it's the environment that we're able to create a successful environment where they feel comfortable doing that for themselves.
“The warriors do a fantastic job of recognizing their potential and then stepping even higher than that. I think that's really what the staff tries to do -- create an environment where the warriors are comfortable challenging themselves.”
You’re in charge of many of the resiliency programs. Tell me, what’s C-A-R-E stand for? Overall the C stands for a caregiver. A stands for adaptive sports and Ambassador Program, which is our outreach program. It's teaching our warriors how to tell their story and then go out and do some public speaking and then we also have R, which is that ramp which is our peer mentor program and then also R for resiliency and then E for empowerment in transition. We have all those programs and within resiliency, we have a combat to comedy or improv to improve, we have rock to recovery, we have an essential oils class, a yoga class a spiritual wellness class focus meeting etc we have lots of different programs that we offer our warriors.
Lucy Jones, an Air Force Wounded Warrior athlete, learns to relax and float in the pool with her coach, Aaron Moffett, during the third day of an introductory adaptive sports and rehabilitation camp at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Jones, suffers from post traumatic stress disorder from a convoy attack and explosion that left her submerged in water. The DOD’s military adaptive sports program enhances warrior recovery by engaging wounded, ill and injured service members in ongoing, daily adaptive activities, based on their interest and ability. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)