Army Master Fitness Training Course, MFT, arrived at Fort Huachuca Sept. 15 through Oct. 9 so trainers could prepare Soldiers for the physical demands of war and educate them on fitness.
The four-week course is designed to select those with the skills necessary to become trainers, leaders and advisors on fitness issues. The program is run by six mobile training teams, which have deployed to Army installations all over the world. Mid-level non-commissioned and junior officers have attended the course.
"This course has been educational and I'm ready to implement this into the Army world," said Staff Sgt. Julie Denison. "The instructors are great and very knowledgeable. They answer any question you throw at them, whether it's about Soldiers in the Army or Family members."
The course included the science of exercise training principles, exercise prescription, exercise leadership and development of individual and unit physical readiness programs, PRT, with the current Army doctrine and regulations.
"Just like other advanced physical fitness programs like Crossfit, PRT is designed specifically for Soldiers and for Soldiering," said Capt. Todd Jones, Master Fitness Trainer team leader. "With the other advanced programs, they focus on fitness and not readiness."
The MFT worked with unit medical personnel such as surgeons, physical therapists, physicians and medics, to create the training programs that reduce injuries, and allow healing, and recovery.
"If you want to be good at a sport, you must practice that sport, and if you want to develop functional Soldier movements and prevent injuries, do PRT," said Jones.
During the course, Soldiers spent about three hours in PRT every morning, and the afternoons consisted of different exercise science classes. Students were allowed to invite their chain of command to a collective PRT session held towards the end of the course, and more than 160 people attended.
The Army Physical Fitness Test, APFT, was taken at the beginning of the course and students had to pass with a minimum score of 240 points and with a minimum of 80 points in each event. Students also had to complete two written quizzes and a final exam. Those who failed to maintain the standards of the program did not receive a certificate of training, and students who failed only on the performance exam, hands-on-task or written exam, were retrained and tested again.
"Forty-four percent of the people show up to the course and don't pass," said Jones. "Statistically speaking, only 50 percent of the people who do not pass the first time pass the second one."
The Secretary of the Army, John Marsh, created the school that established the MFT in 1983 and in September 2001, the course was discontinued. It was brought back to train leaders and assist commanders in Physical Readiness Training to standard in August 2012.
The Army soon hopes to have more than 4,000 master fitness trainers spread across the installations as certified fitness advisors.
"I think it's something good for people to have in general because you come to the gym and see people doing the wrong technique," said Sgt.1st Class Sergio Winston. "This way you can learn the right technique. We can always pull that person to the side and say 'Hey, this is how you're supposed to do it.' [That means] people with less injuries going around."
Of the students who attended this year, 35 of 42 passed the course and graduated.
"The initiative of this group to work harder is definitely better," said Jones.
Garrison Commander Col. Thomas A. Boone and Command Sgt. Maj. James Ramsey both attended the graduation to greet and speak with the Soldiers.
"We need our Soldiers ready, and the great news with this mobile training team is, with one shot, we can put a whole bunch of you [trained fitness instructors] out tomorrow," said Boone.
Boone said he expects to see a huge shift in change in fitness awareness and levels on the installation.
"Go make a difference, and you'll make a difference one Soldier at a time [by teaching them more about fitness], one leader at a time, as you educate and move forward," said Boone.
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