An Evaluation of Task Force True North Initiatives for the Promotion of Resilience and Well-Being Within the Air Force

Abstract

Task Force True North (TFTN) is a collection of five initiatives chartered by the vice chief of staff of the Air Force to improve resilience and well-being in airmen and their families. In July 2018, a beta test, or pilot, of the five TFTN initiatives began across four Air Force installations: Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Minot AFB, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), and Beale AFB. The Air Force asked RAND to undertake a qualitative analysis of the perceptions of key stakeholders across all TFTN initiatives to assist in determining what is or is not working well. If the TFTN objectives are being met, the Air Force is planning to extend the initiatives to additional installations. Approach The RAND team conducted interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders, including leadership, providers, and airmen, during two sets of base visits to each of the four beta test locations. Thematic analysis of the data collected from the base visits allowed the team to identify key findings related to each of the initiatives and TFTN as a whole, as well as changes in perceptions in the six months between the first and second set of base visits. Key Findings Four of the five initiatives are perceived positively by stakeholders and continue to show good promise. Given TFTNs perceived impact to this point, as well as its potential for continued improvements to airmen resilience and well-being, the RAND team believes the qualitative data support an expansion of these four initiatives across a broader section of the Air Force. The Welcome Centers, Religious Support Teams (RSTs), Embedded Mental Health Teams (EMHTs), and Operational Support Teams (OSTs) all demonstrate expected progress toward being fully operational and providing value for airmen and are well regarded by the majority of stakeholders. The NORTH STAR initiative, a quantitative data collection effort in partnership with New York University, was not successful, and it was terminated during the beta test period.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2020
Accession Number
AD1111909

Entities

People

  • Brandon Crosby
  • Irina A. Chindea
  • Rebecca Jensen
  • Samantha E. Dinicola
  • Shirley M. Ross
  • Susan G. Straus

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Beta Testing
  • Business Administration
  • Employment
  • Families (Human)
  • Health Services
  • Human Behavior
  • Management Personnel
  • Medical Personnel
  • Mobile Phones
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychological Phenomena And Processes
  • Psychology
  • Recreation
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Air Force Base Actions.