FORT SILL, Okla. — The 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade celebrated the grand opening of the Archer Readiness Center Aug. 11, providing soldiers with a dedicated training facility designed to enhance physical performance and support the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program. The facility marks another step in the Archer Brigade’s efforts to integrate H2F resources into how soldiers train and prepare for the physical demands of their missions.
“We are now the third brigade in 32d AAMDC to have an H2F facility,” said U.S. Army Col. Lourdes A. Costas, commander of the 31st ADA Brigade. The Army’s H2F system takes a comprehensive approach to soldier performance and readiness by bringing together professionals from multiple disciplines. At the brigade level, H2F personnel advise commanders and develop programs intended to improve individual and unit performance while integrating those efforts with operational requirements. For 31st ADA Brigade, the Archer Readiness Center provides a dedicated location where that approach can be put into practice.
“This facility is strictly for the Archers of 31st ADA BDE,” Costas said. “We want you all to use it, but most importantly, we want you all to be the best versions of yourselves.” As the brigade continues building its H2F program, the emphasis is not only on providing Soldiers access to fitness equipment but also on giving leaders the knowledge and resources to improve physical training across their formations.
“We are focusing right now on ‘training the trainer’ and making sure leaders have skills they can take back to their formations to improve their physical fitness training programs,” said Tony Cox, 31st ADA Brigade lead strength and conditioning coach.
Strength and conditioning coaches are a key component of the Army’s H2F model, developing and managing training programs synchronized with unit training and operational demands. The multidisciplinary approach also incorporates expertise in areas such as nutrition, cognitive performance, and occupational therapy to address Soldier performance beyond traditional physical fitness.
The brigade is expected to eventually have seven strength and conditioning coaches, with two assigned to each battalion, according to Cox. The H2F team will also include a cognitive performance specialist, dietitian, and occupational therapist, expanding the resources available to Soldiers and leaders across the brigade.
The additional personnel will allow H2F professionals to work more closely with formations and help leaders develop training that addresses the specific physical demands soldiers face while performing their assigned duties. The opening of the Archer Readiness Center gives those efforts a permanent home within the brigade and provides soldiers with important resources to improve their individual performance.