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One
of the CHairforce's newest staff
sergeants model's the Air Force new
fitness gear.
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Running, sit-ups
and pushups ... oh, my!
Up until
the early 90s, the CHairforce required its masses
to pass a one-and-a-half-mile run each year.
Being an ex-Army grunt, this was a simple task for
me. However, more than a few CHairforce desk
jockeys had some serious medical problems while
attempting to waddle around the running track.
In fact, more than 60 people died each year
because of the one-and-a-half-mile run.
Not wanting to kill its people over a lousy
fitness test, the CHairforce instituted the
bicycle ergometry test many of us know and love.
Jump forward about 10 years ... On Jan. 1, 2004,
after years of fielding complaints about the bike
test, CHairforce leaders decided to take the
service back to the future. Under the guise
that the CHairforce is now an
"expeditionary" force, the service now
requires its people to pass a one-and-a-half-mile
run AND push ups AND sit-ups. If that's not
expeditionary enough for you, we're now required
to sport a 32-inch waist; otherwise, points are
deducted from our overall fitness score.
Personally, it's my humble opinion that CHairforce
generals were sick of being made fun of by their
Army and Marine Corps counterparts. And let's
face it, we were testing our fitness using a STATIONARY BIKE TEST!
Hell, the Coast Guard made fun of us.
But, CHairforce leaders have given us some of our
pride back now that we're stomping pavement and
pushing the ground again. They've even given
the new fitness program a catchy little name.
They're calling the new program, "Fit to
Fight."
OK, after 15 years in the CHairforce, all the Army
has been beaten out of me. I am now one of
those true CHairforce desk jockeys waddling around
the running track, hoping my heart holds out long
enough to reach the finish line.
But, this is the CHairforce, so it's safe to say
I'm not alone. Others, like me, are about a
truck-tire-circumference away from a 32-inch
waist. Others, like me, only accidentally do
sit-ups when we're reaching for the TV remote.
And many, I'm sure, think a "pushup" is
just cool device that makes women's breasts appear
larger than they really are.
So, to help myself -- and maybe a few other
CHairforce desk jockeys along the way -- I'm going
to turn this page into a Fit to Fight (or sit)
page, with tips, advice, etc.
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