RHINE ORDNANCE BARRACKS, Germany – The Army’s unit closest to on-going conflicts streamlined their warfighter’s ability to holistically prepare for combat as they opened their Holistic Health and Fitness Academy at Rhine Ordnance Barracks. Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) is the Army’s primary investment in Soldier lethality by preparing Soldiers in a holistic manner, focusing on the five domains of readiness (spiritual, physical, mental, nutritional, and sleep) to ensure Soldiers are prepared to fight and win the nation’s wars whenever called.
"It's important for every soldier to practice because H2F is a way of life,” said U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Mullinax. “They've got to focus on being physically strong so they can perform in austere environments and perform at the level the unit needs them to be able to perform. It teaches them about nutrition and good sleep practice because all these things work together and have a tremendous effect on the battlefield."
The establishment of a satellite H2F Academy streamlines the Army’s ability to provide training to Soldiers who are stationed Outside of the Continental United States (OCONUS) without the lengthy process of sending Soldiers to the Continental United States (CONUS) to the H2F Academy, located at Fort Jackson. The new, static resident course for USAREUR-AF will replace costly Mobile Training Teams (MTTs), boosting the annual number of trained soldiersfrom 80 to a projected 300. This permanent program provides a steadier and more efficient pipeline of critical specialists for the region. This new satellite location is a significant step in streamlining education within the five readiness domains of H2F from its main brick and mortar, the U.S. Army H2F Academy, located at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. As the Army's primary institution for H2F, the schoolhouse has historically been the sole provider of the Additional Skill Identifier (ASI) for H2F Integrators, requiring extensive travel for Soldiers stationed overseas and organization of mobile training teams by the academy. The ASI certifies that Soldiers are trained and validated to lead and manage the five domains of Soldier readiness (physical, nutritional, mental, spiritual, and sleep) at the unit level.
"The key with H2F is trying to bring in those other elements of holistic health and fitness as the name states and operationalize it for the unit and not only incorporate physical fitness, which has always been a part of the army's culture, but also add the other four pillars of holistic health and fitness, sleep , mental , spiritual , and nutrition,” said Brig. Gen. Andrew Cecil, Deputy Commander for Reserve Affairs and Mobilization USAREUR-AF. “So, it really it empowers leaders because it gives them tools through their H2F integrators to help their soldiers understand all five pillars."
The new facility also addresses a long-standing training need in the region. According to Sky Clarke, the H2F Program Director for USAREUR-AF.
“ USAREUR-AF chose the Kaiserslautern Military Community for the H2F satellite academy due to the amount of service members that we have in this area. So, we chose this location to help bridge the gap of holistic health and fitness," said Clarke. "Previously, we relied on two mobile training teams from the Fort Jackson annually to train roughly 80 Soldiers.”
The H2F system is proving essential for warfighter readiness by decreasing the need for musculoskeletal injury referrals by 61%, keeping soldiers deployable and in the fight. This direct investment in our personnel enhances lethality, leading to a 33% increase in expert marksmanship qualifications and helping 23% more soldiers pass the ACFT. The H2F Integrator is the linchpin of the system. Their impact is so clear that many brigades, recognizing their importance, are training their own integrators locally even without the official certification. This grassroots demand highlights the need for a unified, Total Army training pipeline. The expansion into Germany is a key part of a deliberate, Total Army strategy to meet that demand. While the H2F Academy at Fort Jackson remains the primary institution, the entire force will be empowered by a growing network of academies. The establishment of the H2F Academy within USAREUR-AF will streamline our Army’s ability to holistically prepare our warfighters to fight and win our nation’s wars.