Fitness is important to mission effectiveness

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Michael Williams
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing command chief
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Our fitness program has been in effect for nearly three years and every day I witness positive results of our fitness program...Airmen working out striving to get in shape or staying in shape. As you drive around base take notice of the many Airmen and family members incorporating physical fitness into their day to day activities. 

Yet, there are still those who complain and wonder why we ever adopted such a program. Why we place so much emphasis on being fit? Is it just another attempt to manufacture a fitness program that resembles our sister services or one that will soon pass as history has proven? Well, I assure you this one is here to stay. So tell me, what does fitness mean to you? Investing too much time and hard work just to the fitness exam; or is it simply a square to fill for your evaluations! I certainly hope not. 

When Gen. [retired] John Jumper unveiled his new fitness program to the Air Force a few years ago, his vision was to introduce a change in lifestyle to our Airmen...a lifestyle that would benefit both our physical and mental well-being. He summoned his wise men together and they manufactured a formula which produced a score of 70 as the barometer in determining rather or not we are fit...the standard. Every Airmen, from E-1 to 0-10 understands standards...you meet the standards or you don't. But when we fall short of the standards we work hard to overcome our shortcomings. Being fit isn't just about meeting standards. 

We deploy to a lot of bases and places. And, in some locations the weather and terrain can impact our performance if we are not physically and mentally equipped to meet the challenges they present. Exercising and monitoring our diet intake prepares us for the challenges we may face in deployed locations. However, once again, being fit isn't just about accomplishing the mission in deployed locations...it's about YOU and your family!
A healthier lifestyle equates to longevity. That's right, statistically the healthier you are the longer you will live...living longer means spending more time with our family after retirement. Making time to exercise three times a week; monitoring our diet and taking pride in our appearance are all key ingredients to fitness. A lot of us don't correlate fitness to our appearance but it is equally important. We must ensure Airmen present a professional image while in uniform. There are some individuals who can pass our fitness standard but do not present a professional military image. When this happen, we can't turn a blind eye because they passed the fitness standard...feedback is essential. 

From commanders down to the lowest level, we all have the responsibility to engage and provide corrective feedback to those that don't pass the eyeball test.
I believe General Jumper accomplished his vision... a healthier force. We must now uphold our end; enforce the standards and provide feedback when warranted.