Fit-to-fight fosters healthier lifestyle Published May 31, 2008 By SrA. Ben Mota 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind., -- For some, fitness is an everyday part of life, but for those who it is not spring is a great time to get started. The Air Force's current military fitness program requires Airmen to stay "fit-to-fight". As deployments increase so do stress and the demands on Airmen, said Lt. Col. Greg DeMaio, chief of performance management. Staying fit ensures that each individual can do their job in a safe and efficient manner he added. "I recommend at least three to four aerobic activities a week," said Colonel DeMaio. "Exercising on a regular basis helps to create a healthy lifestyle and a healthy lifestyle is the main purpose of the Air Force fitness program," he said. The Air Force's fitness plan currently awards points in four areas to include aerobics, body composition, push-ups and crunches. These points are added up to get a score that places Airmen into the three categories of excellent, good, and failure. In 2007 the "marginal" category was eliminated, and the test is now either pass or fail. Previously, Airmen who scored below 70 on the fitness test failed, and those who scored between 70 and 74.9 received a marginal rating, while Airmen who scored 75 or above passed. With the change, any score below 75 is considered a fail, and Airmen will have to retest within 90 days. In 2007, the Air Force announced that fitness test results will be included on all future performance reports, so failing the fitness test can have a significant negative impact on an Air Force member's career (promotions, assignments, retention, etc.). "It is each Airman's responsibility to keep up with their physical fitness," said the colonel. "That task can be more difficult for Reservists because we are only on the base one weekend a month and the majority of Reserve bases do not have resources such as dietitians." One squadron that has taken a proactive stride towards their physical fitness program is the 434th Communications Squadron. Each unit training assembly the squadron will gather and perform group physical training. "I think that physical training is an important aspect of what we do here," said Maj. Rebecca Fox, commander of the 434th Communications Squadron. "Not only because it affects our performance reports, but also because it allows us to perform our civilian and military jobs better." Major Fox says she hopes that her program will act as a foundation towards good health by encouraging her staff to exercise and stay healthy. "The whole purpose of this program is for every Airman to adopt a healthy lifestyle which includes diet and exercise," Colonel DeMaio added. To learn more about living healthy or improving your physical fitness scores contact your first sergeant.
