Pushing the Limits: Patriot Academy Soldier Excels on Army Physical Fitness Test

Photo By Maj. Kyle Key | Patriot Academy Command Sgt. Maj. Judy Macy and Commandant Col. Perry W. Sarver, Jr. present Pvt. Amber Fleming with the Army Achievement Medal for scoring a 327 on the Army Physical Fitness Test Extended Scale.  

BUTLERVILLE, IN, UNITED STATES

10.05.2010

Courtesy Story

National Guard Patriot Academy

By Pvt. Daniel Alcorn

BUTLERVILLE, Ind. - Preparing well-rounded soldiers for success in life and on the battlefield is what the National Guard Patriot Academy High School is all about.

Pvt. Amber Fleming, a 2010 graduate, now has an accredited diploma and an Army Physical Fitness Training badge to prove it.

Prior to shipping out to her advanced individual training, Fleming scored a 327 on the extended scale of her last Army Physical Fitness Test. She said proper balance in all areas of her life took a lot of work and the results were astonishing.

“I was really surprised that I did so well here at the Patriot Academy,” said Fleming of the program. After completing her high school degree completion requirements, Fleming enrolled in online college courses where she earned 15 college credits and maintained a 4.0 grade point average. Even though she was busy, physical training remained a priority. “The physical training here at the Patriot Academy prepared me to succeed in my physical training test and help build the stamina that’s expected of all of us in combat.”

The APFT consists of three events, the pushup, the sit-up and two mile run, each worth a total of 100 points for a maximum grand total of 300. Soldiers who score 270 or above on the APFT, with a minimum score of 90 in each event, are awarded the Physical Fitness Badge and can be worn on the physical training uniform. Soldiers also earn promotion points by doing well on the APFT. In addition to the APFT Badge, Fleming also received the Army Achievement Award for exceeding the standard. If a soldier exceeds the maximum in each event for their gender and age bracket, they can earn additional points on the “extended scale.”

Soldiers are required to take the APFT twice a year, but students at the Patriot Academy take it once a month. Fleming said physical training at the Patriot Academy not only tests the soldier physically but mentally as well. “You’ve got to push yourself,” said Fleming. “A lot of it is mental.”

Students workout with large cinder blocks, conduct strength training, yoga, pilates, go for runs and spend personal time improving repetitions of pushups and sit-ups.

Fellow graduate Pvt. Meagan Nylin with the Missouri Army National Guard said seeing a female achieve the highest PT score at the Academy helped level the playing field and pushed other female soldiers to work harder.

“I was very proud of her,” said Nylin. “It shows the males that we can do it too.”

In order to keep her PT Badge, Fleming has to maintain a score of at least 290 points throughout her career. “I can do it,” she concluded. Fleming is enrolled in the U.S. Army Quartermasters School, Joint Culinary Center of Excellence at Ft. Lee, Virginia and is training to become a Food Operations Specialist for the Wisconsin Army National Guard.

• Date Taken: 10.05.2010
• Date Posted: 10.05.2010 16:49
• Story ID: 57557
• Location: BUTLERVILLE, IN, US