"Getting Physical Fitness Back On Track"
During my first few years in the Marine Corps, I remember
being in the best physical condition of my life. Obtaining the
highest PFT score possible was a matter of personal pride. There was
no way that I was going to allow some old, worn-out staff NCO to run
faster than me. Now it seems that attitudes toward physical fitness
have changed. Young Marines today are content with just meeting the
minimum standards. There seems to be no shame in failing PFT's. At
thirty-four years old, I can outscore a large percentage of the
young Marines assigned to my unit. We have got to get these young
Marines, our future staff NCO's and officers, in better physical
condition.
When I returned to the fleet after being on recruiting duty, I
immediately noticed a difference in the attitudes and performance of
our junior Marines. I saw more PFT failures than I had ever seen in
my career up to that point. Even more troubling, I saw an alarming
number of NCO's failing PFT's, or performing at very minimum levels.
I soon realized that this problem was not exclusive only to my unit.
I spoke with leaders of other units who confirmed that there was a
definite concern. Resident PME instructors have even highlighted
this problem. These instructors have statistical facts showing that
a growing number of young NCO's and staff NCO's are not physically
performing at the levels expected of our leaders. As time goes by, I
see more and more evidence of our physical readiness on the decline.
Poor physical fitness is perpetuated by leadership at the
lowest levels. I have always been a believer in leadership by
example, but it will take more than a few gunnery sergeants running
high first class PFT's to fix the problem. Young NCO's have a very
strong influence over junior Marines, not only at work but in the
barracks as well. Bad or good, their examples are followed.
Sergeants and corporals have more daily contact with junior Marines
than most staff NCO's or officers. If they follow a scheduled
training regimen and practice good exercise habits, it will have a
positive impact on the individuals who work for them. I believe that
NCO's are the key to improving physical readiness in the Marine
Corps.
If we do not improve physical fitness soon, sub-standard
performers will be setting the policies and standards in the Marine
Corps. It is a fact that my generation will soon be departing from
the Marine Corps. It is also a fact that the Marine Corps' fate will
be left in the hands of our young NCO's and officers. The current
state of mind concerning physical fitness, to me, is quite
disturbing. It is an extremely important issue to focus on because
physical fitness directly relates to many aspects of leadership.
Physical fitness programs can be a great tool for building
confidence, leadership skills, and unit cohesion. Being in top
physical condition is also one of the virtues that Marines are
famous for. It is one of the many reasons why the Marine Corps is so
decisive in battle. To lose this quality would have a devastating
impact on our readiness.
I believe there are ways that physical readiness could be
improved. It seems that physical fitness becomes very important
prior to and during inspections but receives far less attention
during the time between. I have personally seen Marines fail
multiple PFT's and never be put on any kind of physical conditioning
program. One thing that could be done is to hold leaders
responsible, on fitness reports, for the physical condition of their
Marines. There should be a new block added to section F of fitness
reports. This section should be used to evaluate the effectiveness
of a leader's physical fitness training. Everyone up to and
including the commanding officer should be evaluated. Who has more
influence on operations tempo or priorities than the commanding
officer? If it is a priority for the commander, it will be a
priority for everyone. Hold leaders accountable for the physical
condition of their Marines. More positive incentives should also be
implemented. One of the best incentives for young Marines is more
pay. Pay can be increased in the way of promotions. First class PFT
scores should have more of an impact on composite scores.
Consecutive first class PFT scores should have an even greater
impact. Points earned from consecutive first class PFT scores should
be cumulative. The first time a Marine drops below a first class
score, all accumulated points should be removed. The building
process should begin again when his score comes back above a first
class. With the current system, there is no reason for a newly
promoted lance corporal to run a first class PFT until he is within
sight of corporal. This would also ensure that we are promoting
Marines who set the example for others to follow.
The future of physical fitness in the Marine Corps depends on
its leaders of today. It is not too late to get our Marines in
better physical shape. Individual Marines have the most control over
their own physical condition. With the proper tools and incentives
in place, I think that we could make a large impact our physical
readiness as a whole.
