Wing fitness program provides 'education and training versus test and punishment'

Published May 11, 2009
By Capt Bryan Lewis
315 Airlift Wing Public Affairs

CHARLESTON AFB, S.C. -- In January 2004, the "Fit to Fight" program was implemented, changing the way Airmen did fitness.

The physical fitness test became crunches, push-ups, an abdominal circumference measurement and a 1.5-mile timed run.

General John P. Jumper, Air Force Chief of Staff at the time, said he wanted to put responsibility for physical training in the chain of command, not with the medical community or the commander's support staff. "I expect this effort to be led from the top, starting with commanders and senior (noncommissioned officers)," General Jumper said. "I expect those who have trouble meeting the standards to be helped by others in their unit until they do meet the standard."

Taking the General seriously and with a desire to not lose a single person due to fitness requirements not being met, the 315th Airlift Wing fitness coordinator, Master Sgt. Michael Bunting, and his team decided to focus their efforts on "education and training versus test and punishment." "The 315AW fitness program is a three-part strategy designed to educate, motivate and support our 2,265 Airmen as they become fit to fight" and maintain the fitness level mandated to meet Air Force expeditionary mission requirements," said Sergeant Bunting.

The wing's fitness team consists of three wing fitness coordinators, 68 unit fitness program managers and 95 physical training leaders, all of which are designed to educate, motivate and support the fitness needs throughout the wing. Training for these team members and anyone else in the wing who wants to improve fitness levels occurs each unit training assembly.

"The [wing] developed classes in conjunction with Charleston Air Force Base's Fitness Program Manager Laura Markuly for the UTA weekends," said Sergeant Bunting. "We are now able to train the unit fitness program managers and physical training leaders with extra attention on ways to help all members of our community."

In addition to the training, gait analysis is offered during UTAs, of which Charleston AFB is one of the only bases with access to this kind of equipment. The analysis allows members to evaluate their running form, prevent or diagnose injuries and help themselves train smarter and safer.

Fortunately, access to the training and education isn't limited to just UTAs or even the base itself. "We also have a Web site on the Air Force Community of Practice," said Sergeant Bunting. "This Web site gives all members of our community access to the fitness tools needed to get them in the right gear and instructions on how to use it. The site was created using the best-practice tools from our own unit fitness program managers. We borrowed from each other to create a site that is now used by Air Force active duty, Reserve, and the Air National Guard."

Running techniques, shoe finders, a heart rate calculator, diet plans, and fitness news are just a few of the dozens of informational tools available through the site, which can be found under "Communities of Practice" on the Air Force Portal.

The results of the available information speak for themselves. Within the first five month's of the new program's start in 2007, the wing's members listed as "poor" under the fitness standards decreased by 54%; those listed as "excellent" increased by 10% and the overall fitness readiness rate increased 8% to nearly 90%.

Sergeant Bunting's team has taken fitness to a whole new level throughout the wing, which is evidenced by decreased waste measurements and faster run times. "We have been a Fitness Top Five Reserve Unit since August 2008," Sergeant Bunting said. "This says a lot since South Carolina normally places in the top five for fattest states in the nation."