Photo By Master Sgt. Julianne Showalter | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Alexander O’Reilly, 163d Force Support Squadron,...... read more read more
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MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. — Airmen of the 163d Attack Wing have a culture of physical fitness. Fostering that culture is Senior Airman Alexander O’Reilly, who tests the fitness of more than 900 Airmen per year while spearheading the wing’s fitness assessment program as a member of the 163d Force Support Squadron.
"Fitness is a way of life. Being unhealthy takes a toll on you mentally and physically. At the end of the day, your health is number one over anything else," said O’Reilly who attended a Fitness Specialist Course held at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
Physical fitness is a tenant of Comprehensive Airman Fitness which is instilled in each member from basic military training and reenforced through enlisted professional military education. Airmen in 2020 will see a shift in the testing to have a ‘no fail’ attitude. The changes are Air Force wide and lead by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth Wright.
The proposed changes are aimed to relieve pressure and stress on test day allowing Airmen to take a practice test which does not count unless the member passes. Airmen can also complete the waist measurement portion up to 30 days in advance. These changes are projected to happen as early as February 2020.
Tech. Sgt. Leandra Bodah of the 163d Maintenance Group and a member of the commander support staff understands the importance of the physical fitness test and said, "Learning of the changes is great. People want to be healthy and people want to do better. I hope with these changes they can make a really great impact for the fitness program."
With PT failures directly affecting Airmen promotion and retention, having a practice test early as an option can identify any weak areas they can focus on before the physical fitness test is actually due.
"Personally in my career, I have struggled resulting in two failures. People don’t believe me because I max out my push-ups and sit-ups and my waist but on the run, I got in my own way in my mind and just stopped. When you think about the PT test you don’t know where people are mentally, emotionally, or what stressors people are going through. After those failures I sought the help I needed to do better," said Bodah.
O’Reilly is passionate about his own fitness and also helping others be more fit.
"Most people just don’t have the knowledge and if people need help, I’m always there to provide that help. Even the people who don’t really need help come up to me all the time for pointers on workout programs and nutrition," said O’Reilly.
Bodah recalls the outpouring of support present at her most recent test, "When I did my fitness test in December there were so many familiar faces out there. So many Master Sgts. and supervisors were there, and I asked them what they were doing. They said they were there for support and to cheer people on."
| Date Taken: | 03.02.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 03.07.2020 19:08 |
| Story ID: | 364709 |
| Location: | MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 136 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fitness is a Culture, by MSgt Julianne Showalter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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