194th Wing TACP Airmen raise fitness bar

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Story by Airman 1st Class Mckenzie Airhart 
194th Wing

 The 116th Air Support Operations Squadron have implemented the new Tier 2 Operator Fitness Test as a part of a force wide rollout. 

The new test will be standard for determining the physical fitness of special warfare Airmen. The Tier 2 test has 10 different exercises that test muscle strength and power as well as the aerobic stamina of the Airmen. 

To create a test that was more representative of the Tactical Air Control Party function in a combat environment, two years of research was done to determine what exercises mimicked combat tasks. Also testing to determine the appropriate way of measuring the performer’s ability was established, said Chief Master Sgt. Jason Quesenberry, 116th ASOS Superintendent. 

The test offers a snapshot of a members capabilities and predicts if they’ll be able to perform their war time mission, said Quesenberry. 

Quesenberry also noted that the OFT minimum standards are the same for every Airmen no matter their age or gender. 

More methods are tested and it’s significantly harder, said Airman 1st Class Steven Richards, a TACP specialist with the 116th ASOS. It also takes more technique and skill. 

The challenge of the test not only comes from the individual exercises like the trap bar deadlift, pull-up and farmers carry, but also the fact they’re performed back to back. 

What makes the test challenging is the length of it, said Richards. “The test progressively gets harder and more muscular endurance based.” 

 It takes frequent short powerful outputs and having muscular durability to power through the entirety of the evaluation, said Richards.

It’s a well-rounded test, said Airman 1st Class JP Guyer, a TACP specialist with the 116th ASOS. It tests a lot more of someone’s physical ability.

Moving towards the future the 116th ASOS looks toward increasing resources to improve on their training facility which is needed to enhance their human performance optimization and mission as warfighters, said Quesenberry. 

The 10 events for the Tier 2 OFT are grip strength, medicine ball toss (back and side), two-cone agility drill, trap bar deadlift, pull-up, weighted lunges, extended cross-knee crunch, farmer’s carry, row ergometer and 1.5-mile run.

The standard Air Force Tier 1 fitness test includes push-ups, sit-ups a 1.5 mile run and body composition measurement.

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