Failure is not an option

PACIFIC OCEAN, USPACOM, AT SEA

09.18.2014

Courtesy Story

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73)

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Bryan Mai

PACIFIC OCEAN – Sailors are required to participate in the semiannual physical readiness test, where Sailors complete a number of pushups, situps and timed 1.5 mile run.

The fitness team aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) has several programs in place to assist Sailors in achieving higher scores.

“We have many resources aboard the ship to help Sailors pass and get the highest possible results on their PRT,” said Lt. Joshua Aisen, George Washington command fitness leader (CFL). “We have a nutritional counselor and a slate of fitness programs.”

According to Aisen, his primary goal is to make sure Sailors pass the PRT, but also help them live healthier, become more productive at work and lower stress as a result of staying physically active.

“Failing the PRT or the body composition assessment [BCA] should not be an option for Sailors,” said Aisen. “Sailors become ineligible for advancement and three failures in any four year span results in a discharge from the Navy.”

Sailors that fail a PRT or a BCA are required to attend Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP) classes and meet with George Washington’s nutritional counselor. FEP classes are held multiple times each day in the ship’s hangar bay.

“FEP sessions are usually pretty fun,” said Senior Chief Electrician’s Mate Ernesto Piol, George Washington’s FEP coordinator. “If you go out there, there’s usually good music playing and people having fun while working out. A lot of Sailors who attend are not on mandatory FEP. They’re there because it’s fun to participate.”

There are a multitude of FEP classes every day on George Washington’s Warrior Fitness schedule, ranging from “Back to the Basics” for those interested in calisthenics to “EOD Fit” for anyone looking for high intensity interval training.

“Keeping the Navy’s people in shape is the primary goal of the classes,” said Brandon Bourgeois, George Washington’s “fit boss”. “All of the classes on our schedule are definitely worth trying out and with such a variety to choose from, I feel there’s something for everyone.”

George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

• Date Taken: 09.18.2014
• Date Posted: 09.18.2014 07:03
• Story ID: 142506
• Location: PACIFIC OCEAN, USPACOM, AT SEA