European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Maw Raiff it glob Iwry a army dropping push ups for it with a purpose Chuck Roberts staff writer pointless push ups and routine run i Ning of army physical training is being i replaced by. Battle focus it. The army in an Effort to train smarter is giving the Boot to the time honoured tradition of beginning the workday with monotonous exercises and replacing it with it. With a purpose. The purpose is for soldiers to do exercises that not Only keep them physically fit but also improve their wartime skills. The first gis to use the new physical training arc from v corps which a amps selected to get the program started in Usa eur. It. Col. Jeanne Picariello head of the v corp health promotion and training office in Frankfurt Germany says there is nothing wrong with doing push ups an sit ups but it makes More sense for soldiers to do exercises that help them to do their jobs better. For instance helicopter pilots Wear heavy Hal acts and night vision goggles for Long periods of time so they should do exercises to build up Muscles in the lower Back and Abdomen. Medics lift patients so they should do exercises to beef up Muscles used for lifting. _ l even the military intelligence Guys have gotten into the swing of things. Intelligence soldiers May be required to sit squat or crawl for Long periods of time while observing someone so one unit formed an obstacle course with signs written in russian that Tell them what exercises to perform to strengthen those observation related Muscles. There Are about 40 units in Usa eur imply menting Battle focus it which is an army guideline and not a requirement. Picariello pro Vidics the units with a list of exercises relating to their Mission. A but soldiers Are free to create their own exer. Rises As Long As the designated Muscles get the proper workout. Take for example the soldiers with the 95th Cecii tical co in Giessen Germany. They use a a _ stretchers logs water hoses and generators in their workout routines. These items Are used by the soldiers in their Job of chemical decontamination. Soldiers in the 95th have performed about 30 demonstrations of Battle focus it for fellow soldiers. Senior officers and non commissioned officers who have seen the demonstrations like what they see says 1st sgt Thomas Roche a physical fitness enthusiast who runs the program for the company. _ a _ _ but Many have found out that although it looks like fun its actually a lot of hard work. Observers who jump in and join the chemical engineers during physical training Are often unable to keep up says Roche who was slightly ahead of the program when he implemented his own form of Battle focus it about 15 months Aeo. One team member slips a Gas mask on another during relay race. A amps Jim oar Haim soldiers of the 95th chemical co demonstrate the new approach to physical training. It was Only about a year ago that Usa eur and Picariello began the program in Europe. Pic Arcillo went to Roche because they had worked together on past health projects and she knew he was already using a More creative form of physical training. Roche says the army regulation has always stated that physical training should Benefit combat skills so he used his initiative to improve exercises for the military police unit he was formerly assigned to in Frankfurt. He incorporated weapons flak vests and logs in the traditional jogging and exercises to spice up the workout. Although the exercises Drew some strange looks Roche continued them believing that if a Soldier is in proper shape to do his wartime Mission he should easily pass the physical fitness test that soldiers must perform twice a year. I be took Quot a amps Jim Der Hen this belief when he was transferred to Giessen. Instead of getting Down and pumping out a set of 40 push ups soldiers in Giessen raced across a Field to a set of water hoses in pouring rain during a recent demonstration. After grabbing the hoses the two squads raced Back and connected them to a water pump in a Competition to see which team could Crank up the Generator and empty a garbage can filled with water the fastest. The winning team had the added pleasure of dousing their opponents. The exercise not Only helped pump up their. Heartbeats and improve their endurance to work Long and stressful hours it also helped improve their Basic wartime skill of decontamination Roche says. Another exercise consisted of racing to a set of logs lifting them Over the head 10 times and then placing a patient on a Stretcher and putting a Gas mask on his head. The soldiers then returned to the log with the patient did lost ups while holding the log on their chests and raced Back to the starting Point while carrying the patient. The laughing and smiling faces during the races made Battle focus it appear More fun _ than traditional alternatives. Among those smiling was pvt. Kevin a a Bull Woodson who says he a sold on the training. �?o1 done to like to run and just do push ups and sit ups a he says. A this Breaks up the Monotony and helps you better yourself a. A wet sgt. Christopher Williams agrees. A a it a Mission oriented and More fun Quot he says. A you get used to doing your actual combat Job from his fellow soldiers in saudi Arabia would agree Roche says. A platoon from the 95th was one of the first units to deploy to the Gulf. _ they continued Battle focus it in the desert a a a even though other thought the heal had gone to their Heads and made them a touch crazy. The 95th-soldiers easily managed to com Pletsc Road marches with Rucksacks despite the scaring summer heal. A a when we went to saudi Arabia they were. Ready because they were used to the gear a Roche says. And that a what the Iru nine is All 3. 1991 sunday a Page 5
