MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Senior Airman Courtney Carlson, a dental technician assigned to the 6th Operational Readiness Medical Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base, recently spoke on a panel at the Air Force Sergeants Association conference in San Antonio, Aug. 27, 2019.
Carlson was invited to speak by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright during a visit to MacDill earlier this year, where he heard her personal story of overcoming the suicide of her late husband.
“I had the opportunity to share my story with him directly, and then he asked me to share it at the AFSA PAC,” said Carlson. “This was extremely important to me because I can impact Airmen just by talking about it and showing them that it’s okay to not be okay. I’m here. Other Airmen are here. We are listening and you are not alone.”
Carlson decided to start sharing her story after she received help from her group and wing leadership teams.
“When everything first happened with my husband, my support system at work was what got me through. I didn’t have to ask. They were just there and I didn’t realize how important that was until I got to MacDill and felt like I started over again,” said Carlson. “I was up for an early promotion and had to wear my blues for the board and I immediately had a panic attack thinking back to the last time I wore them - at my late husband’s funeral.”
Noticing that something was off, Carlson’s wingmen reached out to the former 6th Air Mobility Wing command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Sarah Sparks, to describe what was going on. Sparks quickly authorized a uniform change, which allowed her to feel more confident going into the board.
“After that happened, my leadership asked if I was willing to share my story and I decided that I would use this opportunity as a path towards healing,” said Carlson. “Here I am now and I’m so glad I made that decision.”
Carlson stressed that the way to get the message across was to be real and raw to show Airmen the rough side of resiliency.
“Life is tough, but we’re tougher,” said Carlson. “Even when we don’t feel like it.”
During the panel, Carlson spoke about getting the Airmen talking about suicide and resiliency; thereby, normalizing the conversation in order to help Airmen feel safe reaching out to each other.
“We need to be courageous enough to reach out,” said Carlson. “Being more open and honest is vital to the mental health of our fellow Airmen.”
“Courtney’s story was captivating, inspiring and honest,” said Senior Airman Melissa Carlier, an all source intelligence analyst, assigned to the 8th Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base, LA. “Hearing her speak encouraged me to be vulnerable with other people,” she said. “She inspired me and the entire audience to reflect on ourselves and find the leader within.”
Carlier continued by noting that Carlson’s story resonated with her, reminding her that everyone has a story to tell and that sometimes they just need someone to listen.
“To me her most powerful statement was when she told the audience that we all have the power to make a difference, regardless of rank,” said Carlier. “This comment speaks volumes about Courtney’s character and what kind of leader she is.”