Spiritual Minded Military South Carolina Air Force Reserve: Why Do I Feel Wrecked Until Thursday After a C-17 Mission — The Reserve Recovery Protocol

 

The Thursday Problem

C-17 planes arrive at Charleston Air Force Base. The mission has been accomplished. The goods are transported. The crew is very tired. You take your car home to Columbia, Greenville, or Myrtle Beach. You fall into bed. You wake up Monday. You still feel worn out.

Tuesday comes. You are still very sleepy. Wednesday arrives. Still tired. Thursday morning. You at last feel like a human being. Friday afternoon. Next drill weekend—time to report back.

The calculation is not correct. Recover 4 days of duty. The 315th Airlift Wing flies the same missions as active duty. There are no active duty recovery days in the 315th Airlift Wing. Airmen on active duty go back to the base. They debrief. They rest. They have medical assistance. They have chaplains. They have time.

The reservist walks back to his home. The reservist goes to a civilian job. The reservist reports to a civilian boss that doesn't know that you're still exhausted on Tuesday.

For the strategic framework on high-performance reserve recovery, read NEW YORK AIR FORCE TACTICAL ARCHITECTURE: FROM COCKPIT TO COMMAND.

Why the C-17 Breaks You Differently

The C-17 is NOT a passenger aircraft. The C-17 is a cargo plane. The seats are not comfortable. It's continuous sound. The vibrations move on and on. The air is dry. The pressure changes. For the whole mission, the body is in conflict with the surrounding environment.

The C-17 mission has three phases that destroy recovery.

• The Load: Equipment is being loaded prior to flight. Heavy pallets. Straps. Chains. Laborious physical exercise equivalent to that of a normal gym. After already being employed at a civilian job for the entire week, the reservist does this.
• The Flight: 6-12 hours in a metal tube. The spine compresses. The hips tighten. The eyes are strained at the instruments. Ears can be deafened by engine noises. The body is never at ease. The body is unable to heal. The body is still in flight mode hours after landing.
• The Unload: The cargo arrives. The crew unloads. More heavy pallets. More straps. More chains. The body that is already tired is to do something else.

For the complete guide to understanding how cargo operations damage the body, read From Battle Ready to Burned Out: What the Maryland National Guard Won't Tell You About Cellular Logistics.

The Active Duty vs. Reserve Recovery Gap

Active duty airmen complete their task. They go back to the base. They debrief. They go to the eating room. They stay in their dorm or on-base housing. They get 24 hours of assisted recovery before their next duty day.

The 315th Airlift Wing reservist finishes the mission. The reservist drives 2, 3, or 4 hours home. The reservist enters a house, and the family is waiting for him/her. Reservist receives emails from a civilian occupation. There are no 24 hours of supported recovery for the reservist. The reservist is a commuter and employee.

The difference in the recovery is not equitable. A recovery gap is a reality.

The active duty airman who is tired may nap. The reservist who is sleepy can't sleep because the civilian boss calls. The active-duty airman who is sore can get a visit from a physical therapist. 

The 315th Airlift Wing airman is not "soft" like on active duty. The 315th Airlift Wing airman has less support.

For the recovery framework that closes the active duty-reserve gap, read Weekend Warrior, Weekday Wreck: The North Carolina Guard Logistics Solution No One Gave You.

The South Carolina Factor

South Carolina is not a neutral place for recovery to happen.

The air at Charleston AFB is very moist. The body has lost out on minerals even before the mission begins because it's losing them through sweat. The existing dehydrated reservist is loading onto the C-17. The already-depleted reservist flies the mission. The crash is soon to occur.

It's a long drive from Charleston to the rest of the state. It is two hours to Columbia. It takes 3 hours to get to Greenville. It takes 2.5 hours to reach Myrtle Beach. The one person who shouldn't be driving is doing so. The reservist most apt to drink fluids is holding the steering wheel.

Reservists from all over South Carolina and surrounding states volunteer to fly with the 315th Airlift Wing. Distance isn't a problem. A medical event occurs when the distance is measured.

For the Red Leg Field Armor that represents precision in recovery planning, secure your Red Leg Field Armor.

The Reserve Recovery Protocol

The Reserve Recovery Protocol has five phases. Each phase addresses a specific challenge for the 315th Airlift Wing reservist.

Recover Before the Mission Ends

The recovery does not start when you get home. The recovery starts on the aircraft.

The last hour of flight. Hydrate. One scoop of Cellular Hydrate – Electrolyte Formula in sixteen ounces of water. The body needs minerals before it hits the ground.

The last thirty minutes. Stretch. The hips. The lower back. The neck. The shoulders. The body that is stiff on the aircraft will be stiff on the drive home.

The debrief. The mission is not closed until you debrief. The debrief takes ten minutes. The debrief saves three days of recovery.

For the uniform that you wear while you recover on the aircraft, secure your Spiritual Minded Military shirt.

Hydrate Before the Drive

The drive home is dangerous. Dehydrated driving is as impaired as drunk driving. The reservist who does not hydrate before driving is a hazard on I-26, I-77, and I-95.

Before you leave Charleston AFB. One scoop of Cellular Hydrate in sixteen ounces of water. Drink it completely. Wait fifteen minutes. Then drive.

No caffeine on the drive. Caffeine dehydrates. Caffeine makes you think you are alert. The crash will hit harder later.

Stop every hour. Walk around the car. Stretch. The body that has been sitting for six hours in a C-17 does not need to sit for three more hours in a car.

For the coffee that fuels your recovery the next morning, secure Spiritual Minded Mushroom Coffee Blend.

Close the Mission at Home

The reservist walks through the front door. The family is happy. The kids are excited. The spouse has questions. The mission is not closed.

The first hour at home is the recovery window. One scoop of Cellular Hydrate. No alcohol. Alcohol destroys recovery. No screens. Screens keep the brain active.

The family briefing. Five minutes. "I am tired. I am recovering. I will be present tomorrow. I need rest tonight." The family that understands supports. The family that does not understand resents.

The sleep environment. Dark. Cool. Quiet. The reservist who sleeps in a bright room with a phone by the bed is not sleeping.

For the Soldier for Christ Field Armor that protects your home recovery, secure your Soldier for Christ Field Armor.

Protect Tuesday and Wednesday

The reservist who feels better on Monday overdoes it. The reservist who overdoes it on Monday crashes on Wednesday.

Monday is not a normal day. Monday is recovery day. Work from home if possible. Take a nap if possible. Do not schedule meetings. Do not volunteer for extra tasks.

Tuesday is a transition day. You are not 100 percent. Act like it. Light workload. Early bed. The reservist who pushes on Tuesday will lose Wednesday.

Wednesday is the test. If you made it to Wednesday without crashing, you will recover. If you crashed on Wednesday, you skipped Phase One.

For the Be Sober Minded shirt that reminds you to be vigilant about your recovery, secure it today.

Build the Weekly Reserve Routine

The 315th Airlift Wing reservist cannot recover in two days. The reservist must recover across the whole week.

• Daily hydration: One scoop of Cellular Hydrate every morning. The body that is hydrated during the week will tolerate the weekend better.
• Daily movement: Not gym workouts. Walks. Stretches. The body that is stiff on Thursday will break on Friday.
• Daily sleep: Same bedtime every night. The body that has a routine will recover faster.

For the complete Air Force Reserve perspective on weekly recovery, read Robins Air Force Base Briefing: Why GA Air Guard Airmen Wear Their Allegiance.

The 315th Airlift Wing Remnant

You are not the only reservist feeling wrecked until Thursday. The 315th Airlift Wing has hundreds of airmen. The reservists drive from across South Carolina. The reservists load the same pallets. The reservists fly the same missions. The reservists feel the same exhaustion.

The Remnant is the group that follows the protocol. The Remnant hydrates before the drive. The Remnant debriefs the family. The Remnant protects Tuesday and Wednesday. The Remnant builds the weekly routine.

The 315th Airlift Wing Remnant is not a support group. It is a recovery network. Fall in.

For the cap that marks your commitment to recovery, secure your Spiritual Minded Military Cap.

The Choosing Sober Option

The reservist who drinks after a C-17 mission delays recovery for days. Alcohol disrupts sleep. Alcohol dehydrates. Alcohol impairs judgment.

The Choose To Be Sober shirt declares a different path. The Sober In Christ shirt announces that you are set apart for recovery.

The reservist who stays sober will recover by Wednesday. The reservist who drinks will recover by Friday. The difference is two days of life lost every month.

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." — 1 Peter 5:8

For the full spiritual warfare doctrine on reserve recovery, read The Sovereign Protocol: Elite Gear & Fuel to Enhance Military Performance.

What 315th Airlift Wing Commanders Need to Know

The Thursday problem is not a morale problem. The Thursday problem is a logistics problem.

The reservist who feels wrecked until Thursday cannot perform at their civilian job. The reservist who cannot perform at their civilian job loses income. The reservist who loses income cannot afford to stay in the reserves.

The commander who ignores the Thursday problem accepts lower retention. The commander who addresses the Thursday problem builds a unit that stays.

The Reserve Recovery Protocol is not a suggestion. The Reserve Recovery Protocol is a retention tool.

Conclusion: Feel Human by Tuesday, Not Thursday

The Thursday problem has a solution. The solution is the Reserve Recovery Protocol.

Hydrate before the mission ends. Hydrate before the drive. Close the mission at home. Protect Tuesday and Wednesday. Build the weekly routine.

The 315th Airlift Wing reservist who follows the protocol will feel human by Tuesday. The reservist who ignores the protocol will feel wrecked until Thursday.

The choice is yours. The protocol is available. The enemy is watching.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith." —2 Timothy 4:7

Spiritual Minded Military South Carolina Air Force Reserve: The Reserve Recovery Protocol is now in effect. Close the active duty gap. Recover faster. Fall in.

The Remnant does not transition. The Remnant re-enlists.

Spiritual Minded Military
We don't rank, we reign.

THE LITTLE GENERAL'S DOCTRINE

THIS IS NOT A SUGGESTION. IT IS A DIRECTIVE FOR THE ELITE 1%. [BY ORDER OF THE LITTLE GENERAL]

15-YEARS DRUG-FREE | WORLD CHAMPION | VETERAN