FAC undergoes subtle change

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cortney Paxton
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Fitness has the ability to pave the road of a military member's career, thus making accurate fitness assessments a critical part of any member's hopes for success. Malmstrom Air Force Base's Fitness Assessment Cell, in charge of the testing on base, is undergoing a subtle change.

The FAC is currently operated by three civilians, who oversee all procedures done surrounding an Airman's fitness assessment. The current change will see military members assisting the FAC members in administering the test.

"Right now, military people will be augmented into the FAC," said Kirk Clark, Health and Wellness Center exercise physiologist. "There will be an NCO in charge who will oversee the FAC from the services side of the house, and in addition, each group is tasked to come up with [military] members to administer the tests."

Because each group is different in size, the number of Airmen chosen from each group will be based on a percentage - the number of members in their group versus the number of members in the wing. The members chosen will be assigned to cover scheduled two week periods based on their group's mission.

"The military members must be able to demonstrate the test, pass the test, and must have CPR and AED certification," Clark said. "They all have to come through a FAC training course in which they will be certified by me to be a FAC tester."

All other procedures throughout the fitness test process will remain the same. Unit Fitness Program Managers will still be in charge of scheduling the tests, and the current FAC members will still calculate scores, input scores and take care of all other work associated with passing or failing a fitness test.

The transition for the FAC is currently underway, so members of Team Malmstrom who are fitness testing can expect to see Airmen administering their tests in the near future.

Although some Team Malmstrom members will be affected by this change directly - by being assigned the additional duty at the FAC - the transformation from civilian to military FAC testers shouldn't affect a member's test.

"Testing has to be done accurately," Clark stressed. "A member's career is potentially at stake, so if you're a tester you must be vested in the process. If you don't like to be there or don't want to be there, you shouldn't be there. While it may not be personal for you, it's extremely personal for the member you're testing."