Fit To Fight – Obesity spikes among active duty military
The lack of physical fitness in America is a threat to our national security.
That’s according to both the military and the CDC.
Both the military and the general population have experienced an increase in obesity, so to get a true sense of how soldiers at Fort Carson stay in shape, Newschannel 13 was allowed to tag along with a unit for a typical session of physical training.
The temperature was still in the 20’s when dozens of soldiers assembled to hear the daily bugle play, canon fire, and sing the Army’s anthem.
Some of the troops have already learned from long hikes and carrying heavy equipments during training operations or deployments how important strength and endurance can be in the Army.
After the morning ceremony, soldiers broke up into smaller groups.
They began with a series of warmups and stretches that included leg lifts, pushups, and more.
After that, it was time to run.
It began with a series of interval springs, then consecutive sprints, then a fireman’s carry where they put each other on their backs and jog a short lap.
“It builds up cohesion between the team, the squad, the platoon, even up to it builds up our overall endurance,” said Staff Sergeant Cody St. Germain, a master fitness instructor with the 576th Clearance Company at Fort Carson.
St. Germain says a unit typically trains like this four to five times a week.
Twice a year, active duty soldiers have to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test, an exam involving running, pushups, and situps.
If a soldier fails it twice, they can be forced to leave the Army entirely.
St. Germain says the biggest benefit of staying fit is allowing the unit to focus entirely on the mission during combat.
“You don’t have to worry about that guy next to you not being able to carry that load or being able to lift that weapon, or being able to move under fire, because if we have to move a certain distance and that soldier can’t do it, you’re having to worry about him making it as well as you,” he said.
Fitness is a top priority of the 4th Infantry Division’s commander.
Major General Randy George recently told Newschannel 13 that his biggest fear is sending soldiers into battle that aren’t properly trained in their equipment or in peak physical condition.
“I expect all of our guys and gals, all of our soldiers, to be athletes, because the kinds of things that they need to be prepared to do, there’s probably nothing more physically challenging,” he said.
Along with that combat readiness, being physically fit also saves the military a lot of money, because a soldier in shape is less likely to be injured, and those injuries cost the government millions in health care expenses every year.
That expense was part of the reason for the Health of the Force report that was published in 2015.
It found 13% of the active duty military was classified as “obese”.
In 2001, the military obesity rate was just 6.5%.
The military has proposed changes to its fitness requirements, but none are officially in place yet.
Fort Carson was consistent with the nationwide rate of military obesity in 2015, not any better or worse.
However, soldiers at the mountain post here are quick to point out that the extra challenge of training at elevation gives them a fitness advantage that pays off when they are deployed to lower elevation assignments around the country and around the world.
