TRF steps up to Wing fitness challenge with creative PT-ing

  • Published
  • By Airman Cortney Hansen
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  With the Wing wide fitness challenge being their inspiration, the Air Force Global Strike Command's 341st Security Forces Group Tactical Response Force has incorporated some physical innovations to improve their fitness numbers.

The TRF squadron constantly has teams on alert, flying or training all at the same time, so instead of doing physical training as a squadron, they incorporate it in teams. Teams on alert will do PT throughout the day at specified times, and on their off days, the teams will PT together, usually in the mornings or afternoons.

"We're expected to be the top physical performers for our career field," said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Akers, 341st SFG/TRF 912th flight chief, "but the availability of equipment for our alert periods is probably our biggest limitation for fitness. So, we invent new things and make different ideal weights to compensate for our lack of equipment."

When a team is on alert, they will do PT together in 30-minute increments with breaks in between, and without a gym, the members use each other as their weights.

"We do a lot of team physical activities like buddy carries, caterpillar pushups - where you put your feet on somebody else's shoulders and then everybody does a pushup together - squats with somebody on your shoulders and a lot of stuff that I've learned over the course of my career," Sergeant Akers said.

The innovation that has had the biggest impact on TRF is the connection they've made with incorrect procedures and physical fitness. Every time a member does something incorrectly, the entire team has to compensate for that mistake with some kind of physical activity, whether it be pushups, flutter kicks or anything specified by the team leader. The mistakes are very minor, but the outcome is major. Teams will sometimes do up to 700 pushups in a day just for small mistakes.

"I can say that when it comes to on-the-job-training, our guys have gone from a lot of incorrect acts to semi-perfection," Sergeant Akers said. "Because they know if they mess up, they have to do an exercise of somebody's choice."

The TRF incorporates PT into their daily routines to improve the physical image of their members, but also to improve their mental well-being, and build morale within the unit.

"Physical fitness is more for making sure members are mentally prepared because fitness helps with your mental status," Sergeant Akers said. "It just makes you happier, and in a happy or proactive environment, more work gets done."

By taking the initiative to improve the overall physical fitness of their unit, TRF hopes to motivate the entire base.

"We're all Team Malmstrom; we're all Wing One; so let's all fight for that top position," Sergeant Akers said.