Warrior Mindset Improves Readiness

LINCOLN, NE, UNITED STATES

11.30.2018

Story by Spc. Lisa Crawford 

Joint Force Headquarters - Nebraska National Guard

With the Pentagon’s new so-called “deploy or get out” policy in place, and the Army’s fitness test changing to the Army Combat Fitness Test, it’s clear the entire Department of Defense is placing emphasis on readiness – and individual Soldiers and Airmen should as well.
Since I enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2014, I have struggled to meet both physical fitness training requirements, and body composition standards. On more than one occasion, I have come disappointingly close to being flagged for these deficiencies, but because I’ve never truly failed, I’ve only continued to make the same mistakes instead of working on making improvements.
Earlier this year, when Secretary of Defense James Mattis told reporters, “You’re either deployable, or you need to find something else to do,” was when I first started looking at my own personal readiness level. Was I deployable? Or could I be removed from the military? And when the Army announced in July the six-event Army Combat Fitness Test would replace the current test of just pushups, sit-ups and a 2-mile run, I knew I needed to make improvements in order to succeed as a Soldier.
More recently the Army clarified what deployable meant, outlining in the Retention Policy for Non-Deployable Soldiers the six criteria Soldiers must meet, including being “capable of passing the Army Physical Fitness Test or meeting the physical demands of tasks required for a specific deployment.”
While meeting the minimum physical readiness standards are obvious, prior to this policy there seemed to be more wiggle room should you ever fail to meet them. For example, if you fail an Army Physical Fitness Test, you will be flagged from positive actions, but you are allowed to re-test (and hopefully pass) within a certain time period. But with the heightened focus on immediate readiness and deployability, and new policies and changes occurring regularly, meeting personal readiness standards daily is now ideal, if not even required.
The Army directive states readiness is ultimately the personal responsibility of each individual service member and I fully intend to make my own readiness top priority, especially as we head into a new year. To do so I plan to adopt what is known as “a warrior mindset.”
Former Navy SEAL Richard Machowicz stated in his book Unleash the Warrior Within that, “Being a warrior is not about the act of fighting. It’s about being so prepared to face a challenge and believing so strongly in the cause you are fighting for that you refuse to quit.”
Having a warrior mindset, to me, is the epitome of being a National Guard Citizen-Warrior, and living the motto, “Always Ready, Always There.” Instead of training physically for an annual fitness test with three events, it’s about training year-round to be combat ready, even when you work a desk job. Or instead of dieting two weeks before a weigh-in or a special event, it’s eating healthy and drinking enough water the majority of the time. It’s training for and believing you will climb Mount Everest, even if you never leave the Midwest.
The most important part of having a warrior mindset is knowing and believing in the why. My why is to fulfill a personal calling of service to others before self and to prove that I can become and do whatever I put my mind (and body) to do. That’s why I joined the Army in the first place, to position myself in a career where I can make a difference and push myself at the same time.
Lately, however, I haven’t done well at pushing myself. In fact, I’ve been dwelling more on self-pity and blaming so many different things for my various struggles – for example, I often blame genetics on my body composition issues. It took a past platoon sergeant, who I have always looked up to and respected, to set me straight.
He took all the excuses I was making and turned each one around into a personal strength. My lack of motivation and available time for exercise were because I am overcommitted to working hard on other areas of my life. My genetics excuse for my height and weight issues was due to my ancestral heritage, which has passed on the body build and spirit of a warrior. The excuse that my past experiences were indicative of my future results was in fact just proof that I am a fighter who hasn’t quit yet, even when I have failed.
It was this path of thinking – of turning all negatives into positives that can be used to push you forward toward accomplishing your goals – that I have latched on to. It was this warrior mindset that I now want to embrace for my life moving forward.
Knowing your why, embracing the Warrior Ethos – “I will never quit,” – and preparing yourself (physically and mentally) for whatever challenges may come, is how to ensure you are deployable, ready for any mission and the best you you can be.
(Nebraska National Guard commentary by Spc. Lisa Crawford)

• Date Taken: 11.30.2018
• Date Posted: 12.31.2018 22:21
• Story ID: 305999
• Location: LINCOLN, NE, US
• Hometown: LA VISTA, NE, US