Photo By Lt. Col. Todd Harrell | West Virginia Army National Guard 1st Lt. Jeremy Mullins, a full-time dietitian with...... read more read more
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia National Guard added another layer to its newly re-worked fitness program this year by bringing a full-time dietitian to the Medical Detachment staff, the first position of its kind in the National Guard.
The position of dietician, or 65C, has always been an active duty component military occupational specialty, until recently. When WVNG Command Sgt. Maj. James Allen began looking outside the box for ways to increase the readiness of the force through overall health and wellness changes, he discovered the ability to allow the assignment of a clinical dietitian to the West Virginia Army National Guard Medical Detachment upon approval from the National Guard Bureau.
West Virginia Army National Guard 1st Lt. Jeremy Mullins had been serving as a traditional Soldier in the Guard and working as a civilian contractor with the WVNG Tactical Fitness and Nutrition Training (TFNT) program as the health and wellness coach since September 2015. After leadership recognized the need for a more holistic program, Mullins said he went back to school to obtain his clinical dietitian license and subsequently joined the Guard in that role.
With the extremely high costs of recruiting and training new personnel, as well as the intangible experience and leadership lost when members are ineligible to reenlist or extend their service due to fitness or weight control issues, retention and the maintenance of a fit and ready force is an ever-present challenge throughout the ranks. The TFNT program is focused toward assisting WVNG members struggling or failing to meet regulatory fitness and/or height-weight standards. The mission of the program is to improve the long-term readiness of the National Guard through comprehensive education on physical fitness, nutrition, lifestyle improvement and personal accountability.
Allen, a driving force behind the new approach to Guard fitness in the state, said that Mullins was a natural fit for the position.
“1st Lt. Mullins comes to us with a wealth of knowledge,” Allen said. “He is able to relate to our service members and is an approachable person. It is evident he loves what he does through watching his passion as he teaches and coaches.”
As a dietitian, Mullins counsels service members on diet plans and exercise techniques after screening for individual needs. He helps service members set realistic goals by creating menus that coincide with their nutritional requirements based on meeting height and weight standards.
“We have already seen success from having 1st Lt. Mullins on board through Soldiers and Airmen who have made huge changes in their life styles,” Allen commented. “Some have lost as much as 50-80 pounds of weight, meeting the Army standards, enabling them to continue service in the WVNG, and providing them the tools for success in fitness and nutrition throughout their career.”
Mullins also coordinates exercise plans and develops and monitors an integrated social media outlet for service members that spotlights techniques that have proven useful in the military community. Social media is a way for troops who have participated in a WVNG Fit Camp or other wellness program to stay connected and personally accountable, as well as learn new recipes or methods to maintain fitness.
“The biggest buy-in for me came after the first Fit Camp,” Mullins recalled. “I got a message from a Soldier along the lines of ‘I appreciate your time and your effort. You basically saved my life and changed the way I think about this.’ That Soldier has now gone on to a promotion after having a flag removed and is serving as a part of the cadre for the fit camp. That was my true emotional buy in to the whole program.”
Mullins’ civilian experience is also centered on fitness. He is current owner of Butter It Up, a company that provides nutritional education and healthy foods/snacks within the community. He is author of an eBook entitled “Plan Ahead Paleo: An Easy 30-Day Meal Plan for Eating Well,” and provides lectures within the community, at local hospitals, and at higher learning institutions on various wellness topics. He also maintains ownership in Crossfit Thunder, providing personal training and nutrition counseling.
When reflecting on becoming the first dietician in the National Guard, Mullins stated, “I am honored to be placed in such a position of responsibility and look forward to being a useful asset to individual Soldiers and to the well-being of the Guard overall.”
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.09.2018 14:48 |
| Story ID: | 268835 |
| Location: | CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,011 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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