Photo By Sgt. Belynda Faulkner | Soldiers from the 177th Armored Brigade, Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center,...... read more read more
CAMP SHELBY, Miss. – Master Sgt. Edgar Trice, Jr., primary fitness instructor for the 177th Armored Brigade, Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, began training some soldiers in line with the new physical readiness program launched earlier this month by U.S. Training and Doctrine Command. The program is outlined in Training Circular 3-22.20, and is in a test phase at nine Army locations.
Army physical readiness is defined as the ability to meet the physical demands of any combat or duty position, accomplish the mission and continue to fight and win. The old program, established in 1980, focused on the soldier’s ability to do sit-ups, push-ups and a two-mile run. While these three events traditionally fueled physical fitness training in the Army, the new program focuses on the strengths required in a combat environment.
“The testing phase at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, came out a while ago,” said Trice. “The changes were created by our changes on the battlefield.”
Trice has worked the APFT program since its conception six years ago, and was selected as the unit’s primary instructor for the pilot launch after producing excellent results with soldiers needing additional physical training. Soldiers today must be able to travel and survive in an urban environment, which involves more sprinting to get behind cover and pulling themselves up and over obstacles. To update the Army Physical Fitness Test, these ideas, in addition to lowering the number of injuries during APFT, were considered.
Stretching, or the lack of it, is the most notable difference between the old physical fitness training program and the physical readiness program. Without the opportunity for stretching, soldiers must perform exercises correctly to receive their full benefit in addition to preventing injuries.
”Career soldiers need more muscle preparation to prepare for training,” said Trice. “With the new preparation drills and lack of stretching, the aging body is more prone to injury if the exercises are not performed correctly.”
Sgt. David Matschkowsky, 177th Operational Forces Company, recommends older soldiers stretch prior to formation.
“I can definitely feel the workout, and I have learned to stretch out now before the formation,” he said. “At my age I stretch so I don’t break.”
The new physical readiness program provides a 60-minute workout when soldiers just start the program, and builds up to a 90-minute workout. A typical workout on the new program will still involve a 15- to 20-minute warm up, 30- to 40-minutes of cardiovascular or muscular work all followed by a five- to 10-minute cool down.
Staff Sgt. Lamon Carlvin, 177th Headquarters, Headquarters Detachment, S-1 non-commissioned officer, likes the new physical readiness training program.
“It’s more challenging,” said Carlvin. “I think it could really stretch boundaries and allow soldiers to push themselves to reach those boundaries.”
The pilot program for the Army Physical Readiness Test and Army Combat Readiness Test was launched this month by U. S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. Following the pilot tests at nine locations across the Army, the U.S. Army Physical Fitness School will implement the new assessments.
For more information on the new Army physical readiness program, contact TRADOC Public Affairs at 757-788-2912.
| Date Taken: | 03.14.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.14.2011 13:04 |
| Story ID: | 67042 |
| Location: | CAMP SHELBY, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 356 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Army physical readiness teaching old dogs new tricks, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
