Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Koons | Sailors onboard USS Wasp participate in a command physical training session on the...... read more read more
Subscribe
USS WASP, at sea – With USS Wasp next physical fitness assessment just two months away, sailors are intensifying their daily exercise routines in order to be in the best shape possible, lest they risk hurting their career opportunities.
“At a minimum, you should dedicate yourself to doing physical training three times a week. Also, eating healthy is important, but that doesn’t mean you have to go on a diet; it just means monitoring your calorie intake,” said Hector Respeto, chief aviation boatswain’s mate [fuels], Wasp’s Command Fitness leader. “It all starts with your own motivation to get up and do it.”
Wasp’s PFA events are scheduled to take place, Oct. 25-29, and Respeto and his assistant command fitness leaders have dedicated themselves to helping the rest of the crew get ready for the challenge.
“Up in the gym we’ve placed an elliptical, bike and run plan to help everyone get prepared within the 10-week window which began, Aug. 16,” said Respeto. “There are some people who may decide to attempt to participate in an event for which they haven’t been training because it may seem ‘easier.’ That’s not necessarily a smart move. If you attempt this without conditioning yourself for the event, you probably won’t get good results, and you have potentially set yourself up for failure.”
Staying within PFA standards is even more important because of the Navy’s increasingly tougher rules governing what happens to Sailors who fall out of standards.
“There is no longer a ‘bad day’ make up day for either the three main PFA events [push ups, sit-ups, and 1.5 mile run] or the Body Composition Assessment,” said Respeto. “In addition, the PFA will now be a part of a Sailor’s annual performance evaluation, and will include the sailors’ two most recent PFA scores.”
For those who do fall out of PFA standards, the impact on their careers can be extremely negative.
“Failing two PFA cycles gets pretty serious, with your evaluation scores being lower,” Respeto explained. “It can prevent you from being assigned to pre-commissioning units, recruiting duty, and instructor duty. Plus, it makes it more difficult for you to get into special Navy programs.”
Repeatedly failing the PFA will eventually lead to the forcible termination of a sailor’s career, said Respeto.
“Sailors who have three PFA failures within four years will be administratively discharged from the Navy unless their current command grants them a readiness waiver,” he said. “If the waiver is approved, they can stay in the Navy until the next PFA cycle. If the waiver is rejected, they can be separated within 10 days of their latest failure.”
Some Wasp sailors enthusiastically embrace physical fitness as a lifestyle.
“Being within standards helps you get more respect from your chain of command and creates a better first impression when you meet new people,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Curtis Brewer, aviation electronics technician, who likes to work out on the ship’s elliptical machines and do free weights in his spare time. “When you’re out of standards, the first impression people may have of you is that you’re a dirt bag.”
“If you stay fit, get a good night’s sleep, and maintain a positive attitude, you’ll stay healthy and be better able to perform your duties,” added Seaman Curtis Smith, logistics specialist.
Maintaining Physical fitness standards should be engrained in a Sailor’s lifestyle, said Respeto. He added that the benefits are not only important on a professional level, but on a personal level as well. Being able to keep positive fitness standards requires Sailors to not slack off once a PFA cycle ends.
“You should maintain physical readiness year-round,” said Respeto. “The PFA is meant to see where your fitness levels are – but you should be within standards every day of the year.”
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 09.04.2010 14:00 |
| Story ID: | 55725 |
| Location: | USS WASP, AT SEA |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 6 |
This work, Passing PFA Vital for Navy Career Success, by PO1 Rebekah Adler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
