JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. (October 17, 2022) – Representatives from the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training provided Army senior leaders and industry representatives a look inside the Future Soldier Preparatory Course during the Association of the United States Army 2022 Meeting and Exposition in Washington D.C. Oct. 10-12, 2022.
The Army started the FSPC pilot at Fort Jackson, S.C. in August of this year, providing focused academic and fitness instruction for individuals who otherwise meet all other qualifications for enlistment a chance to serve in our all-volunteer Army.
While there are separate academic and fitness tracks for the FSPC, both programs use the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness principles to improve recruits’ holistic health and performance.
H2F is the Army’s holistic approach to Soldier readiness, covering five readiness domains: Nutritional, Sleep, Mental, Spiritual and Physical Readiness.
Col. Kevin Bigelman, the USACIMT H2F Director, said these pillars are similar to a house. Each element of a home, the roof, walls and foundation are equally essential for its prosperity, the way each aspect of H2F is critical to personal readiness and life in general.
THE H2F SYSTEM
The Army’s H2F System is modeled after professional and collegiate athletics to support the Soldier athlete with specialized staff and H2F domain experts in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment.
In 2021, 28 FORSCOM brigades were resourced with these interdisciplinary H2F Performance Teams, consisting of physical therapists, registered dietitians, occupational therapists, certified athletic trainers, cognitive performance experts, and strength & conditioning coaches at the brigade-level, providing far-forward medical care and performance expertise.
In Fiscal Year 2023, another 12 H2F Performance Teams will be resourced for brigades in Alaska, Fort Campbell, Ky., Fort Benning, Ga., and Fort Jackson, S.C. On average the Army plans to field ten additional H2F Performance Teams each year, with the goal of 110 brigades by Fiscal Year 2030.
ELIGIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE SOLDIER PREPARATORY COURSE
Recruits looking to enlist under the academic portion of the Future Soldier Preparatory Course must possess a high school diploma or equivalent, achieve a test score of 21-30 on the Armed Forces Qualification Test, and pass the MEPS physical.
Recruits looking to enlist through the fitness track must possess a high school diploma or equivalent, achieve a test score of 31 or higher on the ASVAB, and pass the MEPS physical, with the exception of no more than 6% above the accession body fat standards based on age, gender, and height/weight.
Recruits enlisting into the Army through these programs will be offered the same bonuses and incentives as all other recruits. Those receiving academic training at the Future Soldier Preparatory Course enter the Army as a Delayed Trainee. Once they have qualified for continued service their enlistment contract will be renegotiated and they will be provided a Military Occupational Specialty based on aptitude scores and needs of the Army and eligible to receive any bonuses or incentives associated with that MOS.
Social Sharing