JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – The sun was shining, hip music was playing and service members were shivering in the McChord Outdoor Pool. It was March 7 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the water was only 47 degrees – perfect for a JBLM Polar Plunge.
More than 80 jumpers throughout the event worked to stay in the frigid water for at least 45 seconds, each coping in their own way. Senior Airman Nicholas Duffy, of the 62nd Maintenance Squadron, practiced yoga; Airman First Class Jisue Kim, of the 627th Civil Engineer Squadron, thrashed around for a bit; and Senior Airman Milik Rhodes, of the 627th Logistics Readiness Squadron, relaxed near the side – for about six minutes.
“I actually enjoy this because of the benefits of it,” said Rhodes, who cold plunges daily at home. “Yes, it’s an uncomfortable state, but you will feel comfortable and a lot better when you’re done. The next day you’ll notice, ‘I feel a lot better. What was that?’ That was the cold plunge.”
Cryotherapy (the use of cold for therapy) can help improve inflammation and muscle soreness, have positive effects on the immune system, aid people in healing better and operating cleaner, and is associated with some fat loss, said Capt. Syed Ali, officer-in-charge of physical therapy at the McChord Clinic.
Entering the cold water also increases norepinephrine, which can positively affect mood, attention and memory, he said.
“Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter and a hormone that plays a role in your fight-or-flight response,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Staff Sergeant Peyton Shipley, 627th Force Support Squadron, a JBLM Polar Plunge organizer who has cold-plunged for about a year now, recognizes the mood-boosting effects of cold plunging. He wanted the event to include mental health awareness. It was open to Department of Defense ID cardholders ages 16 and up.
Cold plunging is “one of those things that can really help you out,” he said. “And in the military specifically, mental health is a challenge. So, why not set it up to where it’s a challenge for everyone to come out here and do their best, take that challenge on, jump in that cold water right after a long day of PT or right before the beginning of your long day of work. … That’s the main reason why we wanted to do it.”
Shipley was proud of the 627th FSS’s Air Force-driven event. He helped plan and run events while deployed in Kuwait and pitched the plunge idea to leadership when he returned to JBLM.
One of the plunge’s announcers, Senior Airman Joshua Vargas, also of the 627th FSS, said the plunge is “our first event of many that we’re trying to do this year, and we’re trying to just be the vanguard for having an Air Force-driven event on JBLM.”
“Honestly, we’re just here to motivate and to inspire our airmen to just take time out of the dorm, some time out of the work and just participate with each other,” he said.
The polar plunge seemed to do the trick.
Staff Sergeant Katherine De La Paz and Staff Sgt. Dawson Cox, both of the 627th FSS, plunged at the JBLM event because “the rest of our team is doing it, but it’s also pushing our limits, our comfort zone,” De La Paz said.
“It’s all just a mental thing at the end of the day,” Cox said. “We can continue to push past it.”
Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Rossi, 62nd Operations Support Squadron commander, said he had “been wanting to polar plunge for a while and see the benefits.” He got his chance at the event.
“First, it takes your breath away as you’d expect,” he said, adding that he then felt “a little choked up” before experiencing “a burning sensation,” and then things leveled out.
Duffy gave a similar description of his experience.
“Your first thought is just, ‘We have to get out,’” he said. But he and his fellow Airmen challenged each other to stay in.
After initially thrashing around and calling out, Kim became calmer before the end of his turn. He and a wingman jumped in at the same time.
It was “very cold, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be,” Kim said.
Plunge emcee Vargas felt better after exiting the pool.
“The endorphins kicked in; I felt great, and I just felt pumped and motivated,” he said. “I wanted to get back in, but I’ve got to give the glory to everybody else, of course.”
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