Air Force might eliminate mandatory PT

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — Even as the Air Force prepares to toughen physical fitness standards for airmen, it’s proposing to do away with mandatory physical training.

That means commanders no longer would have to provide airmen at least 270 minutes per week to exercise during duty hours. But airmen would still have to be prepared to pass more stringent PT tests twice a year.

If approved, the Air Force would be the first of the military services to eliminate mandatory PT.

An internal audit last year found the Air Force’s fitness program did not promote year-round fitness. Thirty-five percent of airmen tested at 13 bases worldwide gained weight and recorded significant increases in abdominal circumference measurements within 60 days of taking their PT test, auditors reported.

To combat those problems, the new standards would include twice yearly, instead of annual, testing, a revised point system, fewer chances to fail before being discharged, and assessments conducted by civilian health experts, rather than fellow airmen.

But two months before they’re to be rolled out, the revised guidelines have yet to be signed by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. Air Force officials said a review of the guidelines delayed the expected September release of the instruction.

Airmen, however, are already sounding off about the possible elimination of mandatory PT. Some welcome the relaxed standards, while others worry that losing workout time during duty hours will make it tougher to pass the more stringent PT test.

The Stars and Stripes
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>>>http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=65740

The military is sure changing.

All I can say is welcome to the Reservists' world of PT.

We don't get paid time for PT and personal hygiene five times a week.

We still manage to find the time in our busy civilian schedules for PT and pass the test twice a year.

It's called personal responsibility.

I don't think the Air Force had any decent Jodi calls anyway.........

The Airforce has/had PT???..... I thought they sat in lounge chairs and drank Mai Tai's all day with an occasional fly-by to somewhere and then it was back to the "steakhouse", Mai Tai's and a warm rack.

Reminds me of a joke

We all know that certain terms in the Military mean different things in the different services.

Such as "Securing a Building."

To a Marine it means; Kill everyone and get out.



To a Soldier it means; Kill everyone and hold it.



To an Airmen it means; Place a bid on it.


Sorry for the off topic remark IHAWKER.

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:
I don't think the Air Force had any decent Jodi calls anyway.........

Of course not, such things could potentially hurt someones feelings and they certainly would not want that!

I spent a few yrs in the AirForce reserves and Air guard..PT? What was that? But we did have to take a PT (modify) every yr or two. Had to either run or walk the what 2 miles I think, been so long. But have to admit that walk was a butt kicker, you just as well as run.

Oh, also had quaify with the m-16, I did that once in 4 yrs. shot expert...25 meters targets, thats all they had.

In rank inspections: Threat'en twice..hahahahaha. Sure glad I spent my last 4 yrs in the Airforce, that Army was killing me..hahahahahahahahaha....

quote:

Originally posted by m551sheridan:
The Airforce has/had PT???..... I thought they sat in lounge chairs and drank Mai Tai's all day with an occasional fly-by to somewhere and then it was back to the "steakhouse", Mai Tai's and a warm rack.

And thats supposed to be a bad thing???

quote:

Originally posted by adminnco1:

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:
I don't think the Air Force had any decent Jodi calls anyway.........

Of course not, such things could potentially hurt someones feelings and they certainly would not want that!

You dont treat intelligent Thoro bred race horses like dumb ass common plough mules and expect to win races do you?

quote:

Originally posted by john2x:
intelligent Thoro bred race horses ?

are usually lean from all the workouts they get daily too.

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:

quote:

Originally posted by john2x:
intelligent Thoro bred race horses ?

are usually lean from all the workouts they get daily too.

And they look forward to those workouts as well!

quote:

Originally posted by KJ1110:

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:

quote:

Originally posted by john2x:
intelligent Thoro bred race horses ?

are usually lean from all the workouts they get daily too.

And they look forward to those workouts as well!

As does the AF. Golf every day, lifting those Martinis at the O.C. repititions, Swmming Laps in them heated pools, Chewing them steaks, strenghtens jaw muscles...

quote:

Originally posted by john2x:

quote:

Originally posted by KJ1110:

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:

quote:

Originally posted by john2x:
intelligent Thoro bred race horses ?

are usually lean from all the workouts they get daily too.

And they look forward to those workouts as well!

As does the AF. Golf every day, lifting those Martinis at the O.C. repititions, Swmming Laps in them heated pools, Chewing them steaks, strenghtens jaw muscles...

In the mid-90's, my squadron was tasked to send a small package of F-15s and maintenance personnel to Rickenbacker Ohio to support the filming of a movie. I was deployed to Iceland at the time, and this story was told to me.

In one scene, the jets were being "scrambled". So they brought everyone in at 0-dark-30, and filmed theme running from one side of the flightline to the other to simulate an alert response. After about the third take, guys were falling out all over the place. Once the director realized his "alert crew" was reduced to a bunch of folks barely walking, smoking cigarettes, and/or throwing up, they went with the footage they had.

Oh, the movie was "Air Force One". In the movie the jets were scrambled from Ramstein Germany, but the F-15s have "EG" tail markings. That's the 33d Fighter Wing from Eglin AFB.

I can tell you the AF will never get rid of mandatory PT. Mandatory PT was the best thing to happen to the Air Force.

I can tell you from having been deployed with the Army after the first gulf war, we were the laughing stock of the military. They got a kick out of my stories of how lax our basic training was. Our PT test was a mile and a half run once a year.

Now they actually exercise daily in AF basic, have combat readiness training, it's actually a REAL military basic training. Base commanders have weekly runs with basewide participation.

A CMSgt was discharged here a couple years ago because he couldn't pass his PT test. This is something that's never going away. It's the reason for the current AF motto: "Fit to Fight."

I ran around with a group of Air Guard guys who didn't mind doing a little PT -

Could shoot really straight, too -

quote:

Originally posted by greywolfghost:
I ran around with a group of Air Guard guys who didn't mind doing a little PT -

Could shoot really straight, too -

Are or were you one with or without the shades and spit shined boots???

All kidding aside, prior to the AAF becoming the USAF, the boot camp was the same as Army boot camp. The switch came after WW-2. That was in the late forties early fifties. I cant speak for the time between the switch till 1953-54 when I took my boot camp at Sampson AFB in the Adirondak mts off cold lake Geneva and it was the same as the Army basic or worse.

Till that point the Army still was responsible for Air base defense which the military decided it should be provided by the Air Force themselves and so they changed the training schedual to the same standards as the army. My flight was one of the first to go through. It was 13-14 weeks and included field training manuvers,rigorous obstacle courses,gas attacks and Identifications Attacking and defending Airdromes,night manuvers,Tower jumps into Pools,
upside down rope slides down mountais in dense smoke, cold weather training and weeks on the range to qualify. Problem was we were not equipped properly. Had to make our own sleeping bags out of our poncho and two GI blankets,No cold weather boots everything was makeshift.

I dont know how much it has deteriorated from then till now but that was no cake walk and them guys were fit and ready after 14 weeks.

One thing I really admire about the Air Force is that the enlisted stay home and keep the buildings warm while the OFFICERS go out and do the fighting!

I have been saying this for years. Glad the AF is smart enough to put it into play. Someday I hope the Army does away with PT also. Now if they would only allow basic training to be conducted on line.

quote:

Originally posted by Duster6:
I have been saying this for years. Glad the AF is smart enough to put it into play. Someday I hope the Army does away with PT also. Now if they would only allow basic training to be conducted on line.

Going to the range would lend a whole new meaning to "Distance Learning" wouldn't it?!

Well they gotta be doing something right because I know when I have to venture over to the air force base here where I am station, there is always plenty of female air force eye candy to keep this sailor happy.