"PT" It's Good for You, It's Good for Me!
Vol.4, No.7
It was an honor and a privilege of a lifetime; to lead Paratroopers in combat.
The citizens of the United States of America expect our military to be the absolute best in the world. We expect the organizations to be professional and the individuals to be disciplined, fit and experts in their war craft. All branches have an initial indoctrination program used to transform volunteers into professional war fighters. From the famous USMC Boot Camp and the U.S. Army Basic Combat Training to Navy Boot Camp and then whatever the Air Force does. (Basic Military Training). The Space Force volunteers attend Air Force BMT.
An essential element to each of these indoctrination programs is Physical Training (PT). In fact, PT is an essential element to the culture of the Military and doesn’t end at Boot Camp. The dynamic benefits of PT extend well beyond simply building individual strength and cardiovascular capacity. Each Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) requires specific physical abilities that each servicemember must have to accomplish all tasks associated with that job.
Each branch has a physical fitness standard that all members must meet.
Army ACFT | USMC PFT/CFT | Air Force | Navy | Space Force
Using PT in the indoctrination programs enforces discipline, builds the physical strength to be a war fighter, builds teamwork and increases Esprit de Corpse. Conducting morning PT has a social impact, where volunteers quickly realize they are part of something much larger than themselves. They are no longer civilians who work out individually, but they are now a part of a team, a culture, a social structure where daily PT is expected and there is a standard that must be met to remain part of the team. Serving in the Armed Forces is an Honorable act; being physically fit shows respect to that fact.
Why is PT so important?
Physical Fitness is a direct reflection of an individuals ability to be disciplined and discipline is mandatory for a well functioning military team. Conducting PT as a team builds comradery and Esprit de Corpse resulting in a highly efficient and effective team. More importantly, conducting rigorous and demanding PT transcends the physical and begins to build mental strength and emotional elasticity. Both attributes are necessary for conducting Combat Operations where servicemembers will face mental and emotional adversity.
Conducting Team PT is astronomically more than just building the physical strength required do one’s job or meet the branches minimum standards. It builds bonds between individuals that reinforces the teams ability to be successful.
Team PT allows leaders to identify their subordinates that are physically and mentally weak and strong. Team PT allows subordinates to compare themselves to their peers, building friendly competition and competition breeds better performance. Team PT builds and reinforces discipline and the necessary interpersonal dynamics between leader and subordinate.
Using Physical Training in a Selection and Assessment program obviously identifies who the strong and fast are, but more importantly it identifies who the quitters are and who has the intestinal fortitude and will power to keep going, even when their bodies are physically shutting down. You can strengthen the weak, you can’t go to war with quitters. PT when properly aligned with sleep deprivation and hunger can have severe impacts on mental acuity and emotional stability. Using PT as a supplemental activity to identify an individuals ability to process information and make decisions clarifies and brings to focus an individuals ability to function under duress.
Individual Physical Training is not only expected but required if you want to live your best life in uniform.
You’ll never be great if good is enough.
Often times, Physical Training programs at the unit level are designed to meet the branch minimums for fitness and body composition. These programs are often designed to ensure war fighters meet the minimum standards to attend Military Schools and continue serving in their MOS.
If you want to go beyond what is good enough, to go above the minimum it will require Individual Physical Training.
Individual Physical Training and Fitness has a wide spectrum of benefits that make the individual better and thus enhance the capabilities of the team.
Fitness is an individual responsibility.
When a War Fighter has the discipline to conduct individual PT and the ambition to reach greatness and go beyond the minimums, that individual will often launch past their peers in promotions and responsibilities. The requisite attributes needed to conduct individual PT on a consistent basis will superimpose onto everything else they do in life, often leading to success in relationships, education, business and more.
Notice I haven’t even delved into the health benefits of PT yet. Increased strength and cardiovascular capacity along with regulating blood pressure, insulin resistance and cholesterol levels. Greater joint mobility, endurance and aptitude in the dynamic movements of jumping, landing, squatting, twisting and lifting. PT releases Cortisol into the blood stream; an essential hormone that allows the body to properly respond to stress. You will experience stress in Combat. The more you do in training, the better you’ll do in Combat. Or as one of my first NCO’s would tell me often:
Sweat in training saves blood in combat.
Leading and Following: It starts at morning Physical Training.
Nobody joins the military and hopes that their leaders are turds and shitbags. Nobody joins the military and expects their leaders to be overweight, physically weak and unmotivated to be better.
Leaders in the military don’t expect their subordinates to be overweight and incapable of meeting physical requirements of their branch and MOS. Leaders desire subordinates who are motivated to go beyond the minimum, who take action to be great instead of falling back to “good enough”.
Soldier’s expect great leadership. Leaders should strive in exceeding those expectations.
Exceptional Leaders expect disciplined, motivated and ambitions Soldiers with a desire to be the best. Soldiers should strive in meeting those expectations.
Most military units begin their day with Physical Training. For the Army, this usually happens at 6:30am and lasts for approximately 60-90minutes. There are physical, mental and cultural reasons this is the first thing to happen every day. The benefits range further than the target of increasing fitness.
It all starts at 6:30am, in those moments where leaders get to lead by example starting from their first appearance in their physical fitness uniform and continuing through their performance during training. Leaders get to observe and evaluate there subordinates performance and provide motivation, direction and validation of great effort given. Subordinates are emboldened to reach for excellence by the examples set by their leaders during PT. Often times, young war fighters have self-imposed, false limits on their physical abilities and mental toughness and it takes a dynamic leader who is fit, smart and professional to push them beyond those limits and ignite growth.
Morning PT sets the tone for the rest of the day. If a leader can’t lead at PT, then they should not expect subordinates to follow the rest of the day. If a subordinate can’t push themselves physically to achieve better results, they will fail to achieve success in their daily tasks.
Physical Training establishes the culture of the unit and team. Fitness is the physical manifestation of an individual’s and team’s discipline and ambition for great performance.
When a Leader is providing outstanding Leadership, subordinates should be expected to follow and do their absolute best.
When Subordinates are putting forth great effort, are on time and doing their absolute best, Leaders are expected to be outstanding and the absolute best.
A Purpose Lost…..then found.
I spent 13 years the U.S. Army, 11 of those serving as a leader in the mighty 82nd Airborne Division - “All Americans”. I was blessed and fortunate to have had incredible leaders throughout my career. All of my Noncommissioned Officers were absolute studs when it came to PT and were unmatched in their technical and tactical expertise. All of them moving on to bigger and better things than leading me around.
Those men set an incredibly high standard for Physical Training, and while I may not have always been up front as the fastest or been the strongest, I was always doing my best and emulating my Leaders. They led from the front, never pushed from the back and were the example of what was expected and achievable.
When I became a Leader, I felt it was my duty to be the fittest in my team. To be the fastest, strongest, most capable Paratrooper in the ranks was the expectation. It was an homage to those leaders before me. I couldn’t let out any slack, my men were here to train and tough training they’d get. “Sweat now saves blood later” as SGT Ontiveros would tell me as I was crawling over my own puke, grimacing at his demands to follow his lead and “Do More!”
Then we were attacked on 9/11/2001 and our nation changed and we were now an Army at war. It was a wild time, full of adventure with longs bouts of boredom broken up by moments of extreme terror. The purpose of Physical Training became much clearer. I was to lead my men and shape them to be the most physically dominating and lethal force in the U.S. Army. The purpose was to execute our mission, kill the enemy and get all of my men home to their families in one piece. Those three task were the fuel, purpose and drive to workout two to three times a day. We had to be ready.
Then it all changed. After 13 years and three Combat Deployments to Iraq. It was over.
My time in the Army was over and I made the transition to the Civilian World. At first I was exhilarated that I not longer had the weight of responsibility on me to ensure my Platoon was physically fit and ready for a no-notice worldwide deployment. I had no reason to wake up at 0400 and get to the gym. I had no men to lead, I had no Paratroopers, I had no team. I lost my purpose.
It was disgusting. I left the service at 205lbs and within months had shot up to 248lbs. I all but stopped running and never even picked up a gym membership. It was when the scale nearly tipped 250, that with shame and guilt on my sleeve, I had to start running again.
I found TeamRWB, and honestly they gave me purpose again to run and be fit. I eventually worked up to Chapter Captain and enjoyed leading a team again. It felt natural to have a team of Volunteers, focused on a shared mission and vision of helping fellow Veteran’s.
Then COVID happened and the world changed again. Except this time I didn’t stop running. TeamRWB came to a screeching halt. Luckily before that, I had already been running socially with Clayton Area Runners!
I found friends and established Camaraderie within the club with fellow runners. I had purpose again, I had a team. Then those crazy people voted for me to be the Club President and put me in a position where I defaulted on what I knew. To lead from the front, and thus I signed up for my first Marathon.
I almost DNF’d at 5hrs 54min. What kind of Leader does that? A shitty one.
So I signed up for another Marathon and finished that one in 4hrs 41min! Still not great, but I’m building to a BQ pace in 2025 and looking to BQ in February 2026.
I’ve found purpose again in Physical Training. Much of it very personal, to live a longer life, happier and more capable. To continue running because so many of my friends can’t due to their Combat injuries or Service Connected disabilities. It’s also a great joy to motivate my friends and community to chase hard goals and achieve those goals.
Physical Training is important. Not only for our Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen and Guardians, but for you too. To live a full life, capable of great things, small and large.
**If you’ve ever ran with me, then you’ll know that this publication gives you some insight into my mannerisms and actions. I hope it helps.
If you’re a Veteran and feel lost like I once did, have hope and faith. You too can find purpose again in Physical Training and while I’m more into running than any other modality, I’m not a purist. Get back into a gym, start lifting weights, or swimming or CrossFit or Golf. You’ve got to make a decision and take action, then start making connections. You may find, like I have, that Civilians are pretty badass. Give them a shot.
If you’re currently serving and wearing the uniform, Thank You! It’s an honorable choice you’ve made. I hope the first half of this publication provides some insight and provokes thought as to why your doing PT and it’s purpose. Keep striving to do better.
Strong Runners are strong and being strong is never wrong.