Photo By Spc. Alonzo Clark | A soldier of the North Carolina National Guard Master Fitness Trainers Level II...... read more read more
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RALEIGH, N.C. - Soldiers with the North Carolina National Guard Army Master Fitness Trainers (MFTs) attend MFT Level II Graders Certification Course September 24-25, 2019 at Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina.
MFT Instructors teach the students on the first day how to properly prepare and instruct safety techniques and appropriate grading for the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) taking the test themselves later in the afternoon.
The new test consists of measuring endurance and strength with six exercises: three-repetition maximum deadlift, standing power throw, hand-release push-ups, leg tuck, sprint-drag-carry, and a two-mile run.
Staff Sgt. Ashley Collier, Training Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) at the Main Command Post-Operational Detachment (MCP-OD) of Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C. is glad that she has taken away valuable information from the course.
"I have taken away just a general overview of what the ACFT is, and how to perform, grade and teach the exercises correctly to others," Collier said. "It is just a lot to it than just a pushup, situp, and a two-mile run. We have to make sure our soldiers are safe."
The students test their knowledge the next day on what they learned as they instructed volunteers taking the ACFT.
North Carolina National Guard Fitness Manager, Mr. Bobby Wheeler said MFTs have similar characteristics of a personal trainer at their units.
"They can talk about nutrition, they can give people guidance on nutrition, but they can't prescribe or diagnose certain things like a licensed dietitian can," Wheeler said.
Along with the assistance of other MFT Instructors, his goal is to have MFT Level II students ready to train Level I MFTs as graders.
The instructors also teach the students ACFT program planning by using the Physical Readiness Training (PRT) smartphone application and manual as a guide to preparing guardsmen to physically train on drill weekends.
As a retired field artillery Master Sergeant of the North Carolina National Guard, Wheeler is motivated to see this new change for the Army.
"Now that I am a civilian, I still love to help soldiers, and I'm trying to help change the culture of the guard where physical fitness is not a punishment, it's actually a lifestyle along with nutrition," Wheeler said.
Throughout history, the Army's physical standards have changed tremendously. According to the Mountain Tactical Institute, the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) has been used since the 1980s.
In 2012, a proposal to change the APFT focused on having a study to figure out what needed to be changed to test based on combat fitness demands through the Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). As of late Fall 2015, TRADOC made plans to brief senior leadership on the study's results.
One of the MFT Instructors, Master Sgt. Stacy Garner, Operations NCO of the 690th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB) in Kinston, N.C. mentioned how the ACFT is essential today.
"The old APFT is just push-ups, sit-ups and run, but now we do more than that in combat," Garner said. "Adding the other five events correlates more in combat situations."
Garner enjoys her personal fitness regime that consists of a variety of different workouts such as CrossFit, spin, aerobics, running, and yoga.
She believes the North Carolina National Guard can adapt from the new physical fitness test standards.
"I think the change is going to be a culture shock at first because we are not used to doing this, we are used to preparing a month out for the PT test," Garner said.
She mentioned how guardsmen do not have to sign up for a gym membership to prepare for this test, but they can be creative and use other resources like using a sandbag for the sprint drag carry component.
MFT Instructor and Military Police Operations NCO with the 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB), Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Helms focused on the mindset soldiers need.
"The primary thing, I think the soldiers need to take back is the safety and the motivation behind it," Helms said. "I think as far as leaders, our primary goal is to instill that positive motivation and make that climate for the new ACFT."
North Carolina National Guard is making strides to purchase the necessary equipment needed and provide set locations for all soldiers can test.
"It's been a little bit tough, since we don't have the equipment yet, but we were able to purchase four lanes and before that, we were using a mix-mosh of equipment from myself or other trainers to train people," Wheeler said.
Wheeler mentioned the guard already purchased the equipment, but they are waiting for the shipment by a contractor sent from the National Guard Bureau to arrive in January 2020.
In between the months of February and March, units are scheduled to have their equipment and soldiers will have the opportunity to take the diagnostic in the four quarter of 2020.
The MFT students are determined to train their units prior taken the diagnostic ACFT. As for Collier, she has a plan on how to get her unit ready.
"I'll definitely get our command involved and put it on the schedule," Collier said.
This test stresses the importance of preventing injuries and will motivate soldiers to be excited to be present to work at their units and be more involved.
"I think once they wrap their head around the actual ACFT and to see what they are struggling at and they see what they are good at, they will get more motivated about it," Helms said. "There is a lot of misinformation out there and a lot of worries. So, when they have not done it, they will say, ‘whew, I'm going to fail this.' And once they take it, then they will say, ‘I can actually do this. I know what I have to work towards."
Wheeler inspires soldiers to adapt to the change so they can be successful in the future.
"We have all the tools, but it is just a matter of getting all on-board, embracing the change and then moving forward," Wheeler said.
The APFT will go away and the ACFT is marked as the record test in 2021.
| Date Taken: | 09.24.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2019 12:58 |
| Story ID: | 343887 |
| Location: | RALEIGH , NC, US |
| Web Views: | 343 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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