Comprehensive Soldier Fitness

By OCPA-P for STAND-TO!October 1, 2010

Comprehensive Soldier Fitness

What is it'

Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) is a holistic program designed to give all members of the Army community* the knowledge, thinking skills, and behaviors that will optimize the ability and likelihood to "thrive," as well as their ability to successfully cope with life's challenges and adversity. The program does so by training specific skill sets along the five dimensions of health and fitness (Physical, Social, Emotional, Spiritual, and Family). Integrating CSF into Army training can result in greater "resilience", which is the sum of each individual's assets and resources in these dimensions.

Resilience training -- which teaches coping strategies among other skills -- and self-development, are just some of the elements incorporated into the CSF program. Additionally, Soldiers, Family family members and Army Civilians civilians will be linked with programs to help them be successful throughout their career.

Why is this important to the Army'

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli has said that Soldiers today experience a lifetime of stress during their first six years of service. As a result, it is especially important that the Army strive to promote resilience and coping skills across the force, and CSF is the cornerstone program of this effort.

How is CSF different'

CSF is not a medical or psychological treatment. Focusing on the ninety plus percent of the force that is fundamentally "well," it treats mental fitness just as we traditionally treat physical fitness; its aims to train the mind to handle stress and strain just as you would the body. With this in mind, CSF's maximum benefit will be realized when incorporated early, and development of fitness is continuous.

What are the Army's plans for the future'

The CSF program is based on life-long learning that begins by providing individual assessment through the <a href="http://www.army.mil/standto/archive/2009/12/08/" target="_blank"> Global Assessment Tool (GAT).</a> The GAT provides a person with a baseline in the four dimensions of strength: emotional, social, spiritual and family; and provides an opportunity to track self-development and growth in these areas over time. October marks the one-year anniversary of the Soldier GAT, which over 830,000 Soldiers have taken to-date.

The Army will continue to administer the GAT to all non-deployed Soldiers as part of annual training. In addition, the Army is now encouraging family members (<a href="https://www.sft.army.mil/sftfamily" target="_blank"> released Spring 2010</a>) and Army Civilians civilians (<a href=" https://www.sft.army.mil/Civilian/" target="_blank"> released Summer 2010</a>) to take a similar version of the test designed specifically for them.

Resources:

<a href="http://www.army.mil/csf" target="_blank"> Comprehensive Soldier Fitness</a>

<a href="https://www.sft.army.mil/sftfamily" target="_blank"> Family members GAT</a>

<a href="https://www.sft.army.mil/Civilian/" target="_blank">DA civilian GAT</a>

Related STAND-TOs!

<a href="http://www.army.mil/standto/archive/2009/07/14/"target="_blank">STAND-TO! edition, July 14, 2009: Comprehensive Soldier Fitness</a>

<a href="http://www.army.mil/standto/archive/2009/12/08/"target="_blank">STAND-TO! edition, Dec. 8, 2009: Global Assessment Tool</a>

<a href="http://www.army.mil/standto/archive/2010/07/13/"target="_blank">STAND-TO! edition, July 13,2010: Comprehensive Resilience Modules</a>

<a href="http://www.army.mil/standto/archive/2010/08/18/"target="_blank">STAND-TO! edition, August 18,2010: Department of the Army Civilians Global Assessment Tool</a>