FORT BENNING, Ga., (July 22, 2015) -- "You can't lead from the back and you can't lead from the side, you've got to be with them and in front of them and you have to lead them everywhere they go. To do that physically, you're setting an example. That is lifelong lessons learned, and it's something we'll carry with us forever," said Lt. Col. Shawn Underwood, 4th Ranger Training Battalion commander on the importance of physical training as a commander.
Physical fitness is relevant within the Maneuver Center of Excellence, as the MCoE Commanding General Maj. Gen. Scott Miller made clear through a physical training session July 17 as part of the CG Leadership Day.
The event included battalion and brigade commanders and command sergeants major across Fort Benning.
Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Metheny, MCoE sergeant major, quoted the sergeant major of the Army when he said, "'PT is not the most important thing you're going to do today, but it is the most important thing you're going to do every day.' Maximizing your performance and physically dominating your enemy starts with being in the top physical condition to take the fight to the enemy under any circumstances - mounted, dismounted; armed or disarmed."
Lt. Col. Dennis Atkins, 2nd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment, said it was good to get out with his peers, build esprit de corps and push each other through the workouts.
"It really promotes camaraderie," Atkins said.
The session included a "cash in" portion where participants went down Cardiac Hill, did 49 push-ups and went up Cardiac Hill. The workout portion consisted of two iterations of the Downing Mile with obstacles, seven box jumps, seven push-presses and seven deadlifts. The "cash out" portion ended the session with a run down and up Cardiac Hill and 10 pull-ups.
Atkins said physical fitness is one of the first topics they talk to the Armor Basic Officer Leaders Course lieutenants about.
"We teach them how to develop a physical training plan they can take to their unit and implement within their platoons," Atkins said.
The goal of the leaders physical fitness session was teambuilding and physical dominance, said Maj. Heather Gunther, executive officer to the commanding general of the MCoE.
"It's good to get the team of commanders and command sergeants major together from the MCoE out here to develop relationships through shared hardship," Atkins said.
Lt. Col. Dan Vogel, battalion commander, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, said the timing of the event is ideal because of the summer turnover bringing in new commanders.
Gunther said this is the second time Miller has held a CG Leadership Day on Fort Benning. The day is ... "a chance to bring in all of the command teams from across the Maneuver Center of Excellence, go over a lot of the big initiatives, for planning purposes and to discuss how we're developing leaders across the formation. And, it always starts with PT - Army training starts with PT."
Underwood said PT is done within his battalion 90 minutes to two hours a day.
"We do it with the students because we have to close that 'do-say' gap - not do as I say, but do it with you," he said.
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