Photo By Michael Strasser | Sgt. John Dumetz, a noncommissioned officer with 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry...... read more read more
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Dec. 17, 2024) -- Soldiers across the 10th Mountain Division (LI) are reaping the benefits of Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) to achieve their personal health, fitness, and military goals.
Few get the opportunity to really examine how the program operates and embed with the team of experts to learn how they instill the values of hard work, determination, and knowledge into everyone who walks through their doors.
Those who do are Soldiers in the Fort Drum Career Skills Program H2F internship.
Lauren Hilke, strength and conditioning coach, manages the internship program at the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade’s H2F center, known as the Owl’s Den.
She said the internship encompasses the entirety of the H2F program, and Soldiers receive a checklist of requirements to accomplish, which includes a litany of classes and briefings, meeting individually with each H2F professional, and leading group training sessions.
Interns have opportunities to earn certifications, and it is mandatory for them to complete the Basic Fitness Leader Course (BFL), held at the Owl’s Den.
“I know there are not many gyms or fitness centers offering internships in the area, so for Soldiers who are interested in this career field, this is an awesome opportunity,” Hilke said. “It's a structured program, and there is a lot we expect from them. But I also think it's a lot less of a stressful environment than they are used to in their Army jobs.”
Hilke said this isn’t a desk job, or a way for Soldiers to boost their resume without putting in the effort.
“One of the things we look for is people who are actually interested in this field, and they are going to use the tools that they learn here once they get out of the Army,” she said. “We want to ensure that everyone who comes in is focused on making the most of their time and engaging productively.”
Hilke said the internship is designed so that interns can readily integrate with the H2F staff and their mission, motto and culture.
“The thorough depth of the program and its selection process gives the few selected interns the perfect boost for their post-Army career,” she said. “We want to maintain a balanced team, ensuring that our staff remains as the core presence in our interns’ experience, providing valuable support to our interns so they can be successful.”
The initial step to securing the internship is through the Fort Drum Transition Assistance Program inside Clark Hall. Paul Shepard, Career Skills Program installation administrator, said that candidates must first complete all the TAP requirements.
“To be eligible, Soldiers have to be within 180 days of (their Expiration of Term of Service date) and have worked through and completed the TAP process,” he said. “The internship also has to go through command approval channels.”
Shephard said there is no certainty that an internship will lead to employment or certification, but it does provide Soldiers time to network and increase their knowledge in this profession.
“This kind of experience could lead someone into becoming a gym owner, a personal trainer, or even a contractor or GS employee in an H2F function,” he said. “With the growth of the H2F program, it allows service members to see a very clear path to employment, and great direct job experience.”
Cassandra Harvey, former 10th Mountain Division (LI) G4 division ammunition manager, had served as a volunteer coach with the Child and Youth Services’ Youth Sports program. She wanted to intern with that organization, but because her career focus was college athletics, Harvey was directed to the 10th CAB H2F center.
“The internship was the best experience to help me transition out of the Army,” she said. “Being a part of the Owl’s Den, they made me feel like I was family.”
Her internship started just as division leadership approved a 12-day H2F Integration Program for the 10th Mountain Reception Company to educate newly arrived Soldiers on resources, injury prevention, and functional movements.
“I learned the holistic approach and how they work together to maximize the tactical warrior’s performance on and off the battlefield,” Harvey said. “I learned how to program lifts for 4, 8, or 12 weeks at a time, depending on what the focus is, the importance of movement, dynamic stretching, proper body weight placement, as well as how mental, spiritual, and sleep readiness play vital roles in our day-to-day functionality.”
Harvey said she saw how Soldiers embraced the H2F ethos once they realize the program is a valuable resource and not a demand on their time.
“The culture is what sets the Owl’s Den apart from any other operating force on the installation,” she said. “You feel it when you walk in the 10th CAB H2F front door. It is different over there, and I told them that all the time, ‘I appreciate you allowing me to be here.’”
“What I found most impactful about my H2F internship was the day-to-day with the strength coaches and the environment they were building as a staff for Soldiers to benefit from,” she continued. “What I enjoyed most was how we enhanced Soldiers’ lethality, cultivated elite proficiency, optimized their technical and tactical performance, while trying to limit injuries or rapidly rehabilitate for readiness.”
After leaving Fort Drum, Harvey interned with the sports performance director for the University of Texas Women’s Basketball Team. She is now in her second year as an assistant coach at Tyler Junior College for the Division I Junior College Women’s Basketball Team.
“Without the H2F internship, I would not have gotten an opportunity to learn with UT Women’s Basketball and carry that with me to my current position,” Harvey said. “The student-athletes entrust me to help them get to the Division I NCAA level. The hands-on training, watching quality and efficient coaches and trainers, and getting opportunities to lead have helped me get the position I am in today.”
Austin Butts, previously assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 548th Division Sustainment Support Battalion, 10th Mountain Sustainment Brigade, currently works as a strength and conditioning coach for the Indiana National Guard. He completed a three-month H2F internship in October.
“I learned from some of the best professionals in the industry and developed connections that will last a lifetime,” he said. “It was fantastic. Mark Taysom (program director) and the 10th CAB H2F team made me feel like a valued member of the team immediately. They gave me the freedom to learn and make decisions on my own, which was tremendously impactful for my future development.”
Whether he was shadowing a strength coach, physical therapist, trainer, occupational therapist, or dietitian, Butts said he drew knowledge and inspiration from the whole team.
“The thing I enjoyed the most was being able to take the knowledge I learned and demonstrate it by leading morning PT for the reception company, help train Soldiers during the 10th CAB Basic Fitness Leader course, and spend time training and working with the other coaches,” he said.
Sgt. John Dumetz, a noncommissioned officer with 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, said he is pursuing a career in law enforcement after separating from the Army. He spoke with recruiters who explained how officers received paid time for physical fitness.
“Then shortly after, I saw the H2F CSP flyer and it clicked,” he said. “Why not become more of an asset and get some on-the-job experience and training in health and fitness? Maybe a station program could be implemented wherever I go, and my experience with H2F could help influence or provide insight to develop a program like it.”
Hilke said Dumetz, whose internship ended earlier this month, has done everything expected of an intern, and more.
“He comes in every day, and he is super involved, which is what I like to see,” she said. “There are interns that will go through the process and complete all the classes and assignment, and that’s what we expect, but John is the type who also is in here constantly asking questions and is completely interested in learning as much as he can about this field. At the same time, his unit knows he's going through this internship so they are kind of leaning on him for information that can improve their physical training program, which I think is great.”
Benjamin Yandell served with A Company, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, and he completed his H2F internship in August 2022.
“While transitioning out of the military – a difficult task in of itself – having the H2F family around was amazing,” he said. “They gave me ample opportunities to truly be a strength and conditioning coach in every capacity, from helping with the program design for the Nash Gym in-processing sessions to actually executing on the floor with hands-on coaching.”
Yandell said he applied for the H2F internship to see if his interest in health and fitness might parlay into a possible career option.
“Very soon after beginning my internship I had the desire to pursue a degree in exercise science,” he said. “I would not have discovered this course of action if it wasn’t for the passion I quickly developed from my time with H2F.”
When he’s not in class, Yandell works as a personal trainer. During job interviews, he said he would go into long explanations about how the H2F program develops Soldiers and how he learned and practiced coaching skills at Fort Drum.
“The standard the 10th CAB H2F team set for my expectations of what a team of health and wellness professionals should look like is a high bar to meet,” he said. “I could never have imagined the level of knowledge that strength and conditioning coaches held. I now walk into rooms with other certified fitness professionals, and very rarely do I feel the passion I felt when hearing the H2F staff talking with one another about their craft.”
For Soldiers interested in pursuing an H2F internship, Butts said they should do some prep work first.
“Ask questions and make connections,” he said. “Members of the team are there to discuss the profession with you and help you learn. Also, have a goal going into the internship, whether that is to simply grow your knowledge base or gain experience necessary to obtain a job within the career field.”
To learn more about internship opportunities through the Fort Drum TAP Career Skills Program, call (315) 774-3410 or 772-1022. The CSP office is located in Room B2-7 at Clark Hall, Bldg. 10710 on Mount Belvedere Boulevard.
| Date Taken: | 12.17.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.17.2024 08:07 |
| Story ID: | 487672 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 122 |
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