Practically Speaking: Behind the Episode, “Who’s Got Your Six?”
The phrase "got your six" originates from United States military aviators during World War I and has since become a well-known expression of loyalty and protection. The phrase comes from the positioning of clock hours to describe directions, where the front of the aircraft is the "12 o'clock" position, and the rear, or directly behind, is the "6 o'clock" position. In aerial combat, the rear of an aircraft is the most vulnerable spot because pilots cannot easily see behind them, making it an ideal angle of attack for enemy planes. Fellow pilots or wingmen would announce, "I got your six," to signal that they were watching and protecting their comrade's blind spot, ready to defend against threats. Over time, this phrase came to symbolize trust, vigilance, and having someone’s back in dangerous or challenging situations.
Listen to the full discussion here: Who's Got Your Six?
Practical for Your Practice is entering its sixth season, and this is a great time for us to reflect on who’s got our six. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about who I have relied on in times of difficulty or challenge, or even in those pivotal moments in my career. So many people have helped and supported me both in my personal and professional life. It was difficult to choose just one to share in this episode.
I think in my training and early career, I like many others was eager to demonstrate how well I was doing, how skilled I was, how together I could be on my own. I eagerly looked forward to the day when I no longer needed to video-tape sessions for supervision, when I would have all the answers, when I felt as competent as I wanted everyone else to believe I was.
And yet as I look back, the most rewarding and meaningful moments have been when I didn’t have all the answers, when things were not going the way I had hoped, or even when things were kind of falling apart. In those moments, when I was vulnerable and authentic because I had no other choice, the people who have had my six have stepped forward and supported me in deeply personal ways. These days I am trying to be more intentional about authenticity, acknowledging my limitations, and cultivating those relationships where we can support each other, professionally and personally.
We all need support. None of us have it all together. As a good friend and ACT expert has put it, we’re all climbing our own mountains. And it is sometimes difficult to see the challenges ahead or the potential resolutions or alternative paths before us. Sometimes it takes someone else, climbing their own mountain but far enough away from our stuff that they can see a little clearer, to help guide us, pointing out what we can’t see.
So who’s got your six? Who in your life is watching your blind spot? Who can you trust? AND who’s six are you watching? Doing this work requires us to support each other so that we can provide the best service to our clients. Join us as the Practical for Your Practice hosts discuss and share stories about “Who’s Got Your Six”.
We LOVE hearing from our listeners. If you have a question, comment, topic suggestion for a future episode, or even a guest recommendation, let us know! We also welcome listeners to share your “EBP Confession” story (season 4 theme), your “What Is Your Why?” story (season 5 theme), or your “Who’s Got Your Six?” story (season 6 theme). You can leave us a voice mail message at speakpipe.com/cdpp4p, or send us an email at cdp-podcast-ggg@usuhs.edu. Your message could be featured in an upcoming episode!
Listen to the full discussion here: Who's Got Your Six?
The opinions in CDP Staff Perspective blogs are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science or the Department of Defense.
Kevin Holloway, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist working as Director of Online Training, Technology and Telehealth (OT3) at the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. In this capacity, he leads a team of subject matter experts and support staff to develop and present workshops across the world to military and civilian audiences on topics in deployment behavioral health and evidence-based therapies for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The phrase "got your six" originates from United States military aviators during World War I and has since become a well-known expression of loyalty and protection. The phrase comes from the positioning of clock hours to describe directions, where the front of the aircraft is the "12 o'clock" position, and the rear, or directly behind, is the "6 o'clock" position. In aerial combat, the rear of an aircraft is the most vulnerable spot because pilots cannot easily see behind them, making it an ideal angle of attack for enemy planes. Fellow pilots or wingmen would announce, "I got your six," to signal that they were watching and protecting their comrade's blind spot, ready to defend against threats. Over time, this phrase came to symbolize trust, vigilance, and having someone’s back in dangerous or challenging situations.
Listen to the full discussion here: Who's Got Your Six?
Practical for Your Practice is entering its sixth season, and this is a great time for us to reflect on who’s got our six. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about who I have relied on in times of difficulty or challenge, or even in those pivotal moments in my career. So many people have helped and supported me both in my personal and professional life. It was difficult to choose just one to share in this episode.
I think in my training and early career, I like many others was eager to demonstrate how well I was doing, how skilled I was, how together I could be on my own. I eagerly looked forward to the day when I no longer needed to video-tape sessions for supervision, when I would have all the answers, when I felt as competent as I wanted everyone else to believe I was.
And yet as I look back, the most rewarding and meaningful moments have been when I didn’t have all the answers, when things were not going the way I had hoped, or even when things were kind of falling apart. In those moments, when I was vulnerable and authentic because I had no other choice, the people who have had my six have stepped forward and supported me in deeply personal ways. These days I am trying to be more intentional about authenticity, acknowledging my limitations, and cultivating those relationships where we can support each other, professionally and personally.
We all need support. None of us have it all together. As a good friend and ACT expert has put it, we’re all climbing our own mountains. And it is sometimes difficult to see the challenges ahead or the potential resolutions or alternative paths before us. Sometimes it takes someone else, climbing their own mountain but far enough away from our stuff that they can see a little clearer, to help guide us, pointing out what we can’t see.
So who’s got your six? Who in your life is watching your blind spot? Who can you trust? AND who’s six are you watching? Doing this work requires us to support each other so that we can provide the best service to our clients. Join us as the Practical for Your Practice hosts discuss and share stories about “Who’s Got Your Six”.
We LOVE hearing from our listeners. If you have a question, comment, topic suggestion for a future episode, or even a guest recommendation, let us know! We also welcome listeners to share your “EBP Confession” story (season 4 theme), your “What Is Your Why?” story (season 5 theme), or your “Who’s Got Your Six?” story (season 6 theme). You can leave us a voice mail message at speakpipe.com/cdpp4p, or send us an email at cdp-podcast-ggg@usuhs.edu. Your message could be featured in an upcoming episode!
Listen to the full discussion here: Who's Got Your Six?
The opinions in CDP Staff Perspective blogs are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science or the Department of Defense.
Kevin Holloway, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist working as Director of Online Training, Technology and Telehealth (OT3) at the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. In this capacity, he leads a team of subject matter experts and support staff to develop and present workshops across the world to military and civilian audiences on topics in deployment behavioral health and evidence-based therapies for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).