KATTERBACH, Germany - In an aircraft maintenance hangar filled with helicopter parts, picnic tables, and gym equipment, and overlooked by a giant United States Flag, Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3-158 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, held a physical fitness competition called "Nighthawk Gone Bad" May 1, 2015, at Katterbach Kaserne.
Soldiers' bodies and emotions were tested as they tried to outperform and out score each other during the competition, a variation of the "Fight Gone Bad" workout, which pitted the Soldiers and family members from the company against each other to determine who is the baddest Nighthawk.
The exercises consisted of wall balls, box jumps, the push press, row for calories, and sumo dead lift high pole. All five exercises were timed at one minute and done back-to-back with no break in between. After each rotation competitors had one minute of rest before going back to complete a total of three rotations.
"We will count repetitions at each station and calories for the rower and that's how the score is derived," said Capt. Wesley Solway, the company commander.
While each Soldier performed his best, morale stayed high throughout the entire event. Participants cheered and encouraged each other to squeeze every last drop of energy to do their absolute best.
"I encouraged my peers so they can get a full work out and not cheat themselves," said Spc. Michael J. Judy, an aviation operations specialist for the company. "It's not bad, it's a change of pace from the work day. With us, we're always in Poland or somewhere else."
This event is a culmination of a modified Physical Readiness Training regimen started in January by the company commander and the first sergeant.
"When I took command in January, we were strictly doing the PRT type stuff," said Solway. "Something the first sergeant and I were interested in was implementing functional fitness into the normal everyday workouts."
This led to the company doing en masse functional fitness workouts three-days a week. In addition, some of noncommissioned officers participate in a functional fitness program with Command Sgt. Major Paul Hutchings, the battalion command sergeant major, and apply that knowledge to design the weekly routines for the company.
"The end goal was to do this functional fitness style workout at the end where we are competing against each other for a score," said Solway.
The company leadership wanted to evaluate whether fitness test scores went up or down and if the Soldiers enjoyed those types of exercises.
"We watched fitness test scores go up," said 1st Sgt. Christopher Jager, the company first sergeant. "We watched injuries go down, and morale - they love this."
In the beginning there was an adjustment period for the Soldiers as the fitness regimens were unfamiliar, the particular equipment needed for this training was not readily available, finding a space to exercise was difficult, and working around mission requirements for ongoing operations.
"We've been building up and ensuring everyone can do the weight training and conduct the exercises safely," said Solway. "[The training] has been broken up because we have been [active] in Operation Atlantic Resolve for most of our folks, but they brought the equipment out there and they have been doing the exercises."
By begging, borrowing, and buying equipment, the company was able to acquire the equipment needed for the Soldiers to conduct the workouts, said Jager.
Also, the command wanted to familiarize the Soldiers with movement techniques that will help them with their jobs and potentially save lives on the battlefield.
The functional fitness we are doing "actually has a purpose and a role in your career," said Jager. "I'd rather have someone who can pull someone out of a helicopter than have a guy that can do a hundred pushups in a minute but isn't functional in his full kit."
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