U.S. Forces Fitness

Story by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs Twelve Airmen from across the U.S. Air Force competed in the Super Regional Alpha Warrior event July 27. The competition tested participants’ overall fitness by utilizing Joint Base Charleston’s Alpha Warrior battle rig. The rig’s equipment was designed to strengthen functional fitness and promote more resilient and fit-to-fight athletes through a variety of obstacles. U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Jesse Montgomery, a C-130 Hercules structures engineer assigned to the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, placed first among males, completing the battle rig obstacle course in 4 minutes, 30 seconds. “It’s fun to get out here and compete with my fellow service members,” said Montgomery. “Everyone is cheering each other on and doing their best. For me, it’s a lot easier to train where there’s a goal in mind and something like this gives you something to aim for. This has

Story by Pfc. Grace Nechanicky Alaska National Guard Public Affairs Twenty Alaska Army National Guard and active duty U.S. Army Soldiers are participating in the Master Fitness Trainer Course that was offered here by instructors from Fort Benning, Georgia starting July 14, 2019. The purpose of the MFT program is to train Soldiers in strength and resistance programs, enabling them to then train the Soldiers within their units. Every unit has an MFT, who is the individual responsible for planning and executing the physical readiness training for the unit. Trainers are required to complete this course in order to be fully qualified to train and design exercises for Soldiers in their units. “All of our training has some form of progression so we’re following our big four principles: specificity, overload, progression and variation,” said Staff Sgt. Mark White, Master Fitness Trainer Course NCOIC, “We’re trying to program an overload at a progressive level that can meet their s

Story by Airman Seth Haddix 81st Training Wing Public Affairs They ran 212 miles filled with pain and fatigue. It put pressure on the relay team, but their drive to honor the fallen Airmen pushed them to succeed. The relay team, “Unicorn of the Sea,” accepted the challenge of the Crawfish Relay to not only push themselves, but to honor two special tactics Airmen killed in action, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. John Chapman and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan Elchin. The team carried two combat controller coins to symbolize them and handed them off at each checkpoint. The relay started in New Orleans, Louisiana, and ended in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The runners would take turns running, switching off approximately nine miles at a time. The team consisted of U.S. Air Force Capts. Kelly Hiser and Andrea “Annie” Reininger, 335th Training Squadron force support officers, Catherine Rogers, U.S. Air Force veteran, Sarah Goff, U.S. Navy veteran, and military spouses Peggy Watson and Amand

Sgt 1st Class Leilani Caracciolo, network manager noncommissioned officer in charge 1st Theater Sustainment Command (TSC), lifts a loaded barbell to an overhead position during her training for the 1,000-Pound Club at Otto Fitness Center at Fort Knox, Ky., July 17, 2019. (Photo by  Spc. Zoran Raduka) Story by Sgt. Bethany Williams 1st Theater Sustainment Command FORT KNOX, Ky.—The Army presents Soldiers with many opportunities to challenge themselves, and one way Soldiers can do so at Fort Knox is the 1,000-Pound Club, a weightlifting competition that allows them to test their strength and set new records. Ricky Tyrone Gravely, a retired sergeant major and current safety staff with 1st Theater Sustainment Command (TSC), introduced the club to Fort Knox in 2017 after returning from a deployment to Kuwait.   Gravely deployed to the 1st TSC’s operational command post at Camp Arifjan in 2014, where he first became familiar with it. To join the 1,000-Pound Club, Soldiers have

Story by Douglas Holl Army Public Health Center ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – Training for a demanding race like the Army 10-miler requires focus, determination and solid nine to 10 hours of sleep every night, according to sleep experts at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the Army Office of the Surgeon General. Sleep is one of the three pillars of the Performance Triad, which also includes nutrition and activity. “Sleep allows our bodies to focus on recovery and restores both our mind and muscles,” said Army Lt. Col. T Scott Burch, Army System for Health Performance Triad sleep lead, OSTG.  “Following a particularly strenuous training day, our body may need more time to recover and the good news is that our body will often give us signs that we need additional sleep, so plan go to bed a little earlier following high intensity workouts or post-race.” Sleep is good recovery for the brain, said Dr. Tom Balkin, a sleep expert and senior scientist at the Walter Reed A

Story by Douglas Holl Army Public Health Center ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – Signing up for a 10-mile run can be intimidating whether you are an experienced runner or a novice. Fortunately, the Army Public Health Center offers some expert advice and training tips to help every runner prepare for the upcoming Army Ten-miler in October. “You can do it,” said Army Maj. Timothy Benedict, an APHC physical therapist who specializes in injury prevention. “Come up with a progression plan and be confident that many people just like you have far exceeded what they thought was possible. The human body is incredibly resilient.” Training for the Army Ten-miler starts with incorporating the Performance Triad into your training routine, said Benedict. P3 focuses on sleep, activity and nutrition intertwined to enhance every runner’s performance. Sleep is critical for performance and is needed to rejuvenate, said Benedict. Focus each night with seven to eight hours of sleep and keep

Story by Pfc. Emily White 145th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment CAMP GRUBER, Okla. – After 40 years of the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) the Army National Guard has administered a new physical fitness assessment, the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), during the Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition at Camp Gruber Training Center, Oklahoma, July 17, 2019. For the first time in history, the 14 Best Warrior Soldiers performed a modified version of the six-event ACFT which included hurling medicine balls over their heads, performing dozens of push-ups and showing their strength on the pull-up bar. Capt. Vanessa LaGrange, the only level II ACFT administrator in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, was excited to see the Warriors implement this test for the first time. “Typically they’ll show up in their Physical Training (PT) uniforms, but they are here in their Operational Camouflage Pattern uniforms,” said LaGrange. “The two-mile is a cross-country run instead of the nor

Story by Capt. Ernest Wang 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Several U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers from the 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, completed their first Army Combat Fitness Test at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The ACFT is a new Army fitness test that will replace the current Army Physical Fitness Test in 2020. It has been in development for several years among testing battalions, and aims to better connect fitness with combat readiness across the Army. Warrant Officer 1 Casey Arblaster, a master fitness trainer from the 475th Quartermaster Group, led the ACFT train-to-train session this morning. Master Sgt. Felipe Pacheco, a 92A Automated Logistical Specialist from the 316th ESC, organized the event in order to implement ACFT training at the 316th Headquarters Company over the next several months. 316th ESC Soldiers completed the maximum deadlift, standing power throw, hand-release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, leg tu

Story by Alexandra Pirkle Army & Air Force Exchange Service HQ DALLAS – The Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s BE FIT program has a new influencer: Sgt. 1st Class Sherille Butler, a 12-year Army logistics specialist, certified Army Combat Fitness Test administrator and bodybuilder. The Exchange’s BE FIT program empowers military customers, their families and the broader military community to make healthy lifestyle choices. Butler will showcase her expertise in videos on the Exchange’s online community Hub, including tips and tricks for the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) as well as advice for wellness. “The Exchange is excited to bring Sgt. 1st Class Butler on board as a BE FIT influencer,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the program that will help the Exchange keep Warfighters and their families ready and resilient.” Butler, the non-commissioned officer in cha

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Juan Sua Patrol Squadron 4 After running 48 miles, he hit the proverbial wall. His body had reached the point of exhaustion, but he still had 14 miles left to run. He had spent the past 28 weeks training for this event and was not about to throw in the towel. “I had to fight through the pain and make it to the end of the race,” said Naval Aircrewman (Operator) 3rd Class Doug Harris, assigned to the Skinny Dragons of Patrol Squadron (VP) 4. “My mind and body were worn out from the physical and mental stressors from such a demanding race.” Harris, a Castle Rock, Colorado native and veteran of two marathons had embarked on his toughest challenge to date, a 100 km (62 mi) race in the Lake Young’s watershed, in Renton, Washington, known as the Pigtails Challenge on May 25, 2019. In a traditional ultra-marathon, participants Trek along an extended loop over the distance of the course, but the Pigtails Challenge was different. The race consiste

Story by Winifred Brown US Army Garrison - Japan CAMP ZAMA, Japan – Members of the U.S. Army Japan Army Ten-Miler team beat out dozens of competitors in qualifying races earlier this summer, and now they’re training in earnest for the October race. The Army Ten-Miler takes place in Washington, D.C., Oct. 13, and the team, which includes four men and two women, will compete in the active-duty mixed team category, said Stefan Thompson, chief of fitness, athletics and aquatics for Camp Zama Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation. Last year the team finished 20th out of 57 teams, according to the 2018 results. Only active-duty Soldiers are eligible to make the team, and with the most recent numbers showing roughly 1,500 eligible USARJ Soldiers, the team has done well in the past considering the size of the bases they were up against. The team members include: Capt. Dustin Thomas, assigned to Medical Activity Japan, Camp Zama; Pfc. Max Ramirez, assigned to the 38th Air Defens

Story by Staff Sgt. Neysa Canfield 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Puddles of sweat begin to form as the sound of 50-ounce gloves hitting a punching bag echo throughout the gym. A buzzer goes off. That’s the signal to the drenched-in-sweat Sgt. Larry Mays that the warmup has ended and the real workout is about to begin. The unit supply NCO with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, used that warmup routine to help earn first place in the Colorado Golden Gloves heavyweight division in April. “It’s a prestigious tournament that the state of Colorado holds on a yearly basis,” explained Mays. “I’ve been training since October of last year and it’s exciting to see that all my hard work paid off.” Even though the Lambert, Mississippi native began his training for the Colorado tournament in October, his journey with the sport started muc

Story by Senior Airman Delaney Gonzales 633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs More than 25 service members tried-out for the 2019 Army Ten-Miler competition June 28 in front of Anderson Field House at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The Army Ten-Miler was established in 1985 and will be celebrating its 35th anniversary during this year’s competition in Washington D.C., Oct. 13. Service members are eligible to compete in a variety of Team Divisions to include the Active-Duty Men’s Team (29 teams competed last year), the Active-Duty Women’s Team (14 teams competed last year) and the Mixed Team Division (57 teams competed last year). “Last year, JBLE competed in the Active-Duty Mixed Team Division and was 14 out of 57 teams and will be competing in this division again this year in 2019,” said Kacey Gibson, a master resilience trainer- performance expert with the Fort Eustis Ready and Resilient Performance Center. The final time for JBLE’s team for 2018 was 4 hours, 35 minu