This was cross posted on CGBlog.org. When most people think of the Coast Guard (CG) now days they think of the movie The Guardian, a story about the making of a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer (AST); they like the story so much the decide to visit a nearby CG Station- and wow, they don't look like Ashton Kutcher or any of those other 'really-in-shape' types in the movie?! Well I hate to be the one who breaks it to you folks, to get into that kind of shape you have to workout on a regular basis (movie-star style), and in the CG- that doesn't happen.
Now to be fair- there is a minority of people who, on a regular basis, do work out and some are even in super-athlete shape. But my discussion here is pointed at the majority of the Active Duty (and some Reserves) who do not. I want to take you down the road of comparing other services to ours and then what I think should be happening. But first, a word from our sponsor... just kidding.
As the Navy is about as close as we get to the other services, as a whole, I would like to bring them into the picture as my example of something we should look into. If you notice their testing measurements are nearly identical to our standard LE team measures.
Navy Physical readiness tests, with associated height/weight/body fat measurements, are conducted twice each fiscal year. The test is designed to measure flexibility, muscular endurance and aerobic capacity. The Navy physical fitness test consists of a 1.5-mile run, sit-ups and push-ups. Also swimming 500m for time is an option for the 1.5-mile run. This is a standard PT test used by other branches and many law enforcement agencies across the United States.1Now if you notice the big difference between their policy and ours (below) is the fact that they HAVE a policy towards actually requiring testing twice a year verses our zero times per year (for the whole service). In fact if you check out StewSmith.com- Stew is nice enough to share with the world, that in so many words, we don't have to do any mandated physical fitness- Instead we call it "On the Job requirements." So what is the current official policy? Glad you asked-
Per the WEIGHT/PHYSICAL FITNESS STANDARDS FOR COAST GUARD MILITARY PERSONNEL (COMDTINST M1020.8F)
The Coast Guard’s weight program was originally instituted in 1985 and significantly revised in 2004 to reflect an emphasis on health and physical fitness. The weight/physical fitness program is intended to contribute to the fitness for duty and appearance of Coast Guard members. To meet our operational challenges and as a Uniformed Service, all members must be fit for duty and appear so in uniform. Their appearance must reflect credit on themselves, the Coast Guard, and our country.So, what I'm reading is this- the powers that be realize most of us are old enough to know how to stay in shape so they don't mandate the working out part, but the emphasis is how we look in the uniform. I'll give 'em that, for you can tell who isn't doing their part to keep in shape with the uniforms we wear. I also read that it is expected that the individuals supervisors are responsible for ensuring their members are looking good and staying in shape/eating right. Hmm... I'll tell you, for reading this I feel like a failure. I have had to process two individual (so far) out for not being able to make weight; in fact they gained weight. From a supervisory point of view I would not hold their hand, however, I did get them, from our Unit Health Promotion Coordinator, an assessment of a proper diet and a "doable" workout plan to include running with Mr. Erickson. I also stayed on them to ensure they were on track- they lied, there gone. You can lead a horse to water, but...
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A successful weight/physical fitness program depends on both an individual member’s lifestyle choices and the amount of support put forth by supervisors to ensure their personnel are within standards. Supervisors are expected to take a proactive approach in helping personnel to remain within their maximum allowable weight.
What direction to take now? The physical fitness standards for the USCG are not really my focus yet. What I would like to discuss is the CG's policy regarding who 'shall' conduct physical fitness routines on a regular basis. Currently as I understand it, and forgive me for I didn't have all that much time to research, the only units required to conduct regular physical fitness and associated tests are Deployable Operations Group (DOG) units such as the MSRT, MSST's, and PSU's and of course, those who are in the positions of Boarding Officers/Boarding Team Members and boat crewman. This is perfectly excepted as these are the units that may be called into action for the protection of you and I. The DOG, as I have heard (I'm at a Sector) have draft instruction in the works that, in a nutshell, is pushing for a three tier system of who needs to partake in regular workout routines, which is EVERYONE within the DOG. This is great, even our/their YN's, SK's, and desk officers are required to workout. I point them out as they are generally not required as they are not field personnel. This should be a model for the entire CG, however the standard needs to be raised. Though I can say with some authority that something like this would piss off a lot of people as did the mandatory weigh-ins actually becoming mandatory around 2004. Sometimes changer is needed, and when your country calls on you, you had better be ready for that call...
Let's take a comparison for a baseline from the basic training, of both the CG and Navy, as this the only place we are ALL required to take a physical fitness test. As we only have one standard and the Navy has several (based off of age), I'm going to use the Navy's male age 25-29 compared to ours.
| USCG Push-Ups (60sec): 29 Sit-Ups (60sec): 38 1.5 Mile Run: 12:51 Sit 'n Reach: 16.50" | Navy Push-Ups: Doesn't go that low Sit-Ups: Doesn't go that low 1.5 Mile Run: 12:51 (Good/Low) Sit 'n Reach: N/A |
Ok... so here is where we stand. Our (CG's) push-ups and sit-ups are based off of a sixty-second clock where the Navy's are total. However, this really doesn't matter for our numbers don't even register on their scale. And you know what, in my opinion, even with a short sixty-second clock, that sucks. Next, the 1.5 mile run- our standard is considered Good on a Low level within the Navy. On a number scale for those of you not wanting to follow the link above, it equals out to a 4 out of 12 with 12 being the best... and the sit and reach doesn't matter to the Navy, nor me for that matter, but I do it because the Coast Guard says so. This is far from a scientific comparison, but you get the point, and as most of our recruits going to Cape May are even younger, so the comparison spread gets further apart making us look worse, so let's not go there.
So in closing, I realize we are not the USMC with regards to their thought of "fighter first, job second." I would just like to see a physical fitness standard being set for all members of the Coast Guard, not just our LE types, but our support, engineering, and "behind the lines" types as well. We, I, and our leaders all call this a Military Service, and it's about time we act like it. It's time the Coast Guard begins to ensure we are all fit enough to do our jobs, and doing so on ones accord won't always be the answer- ask the individuals who didn't make weight or the standards given.
1 http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Smith_081805,00.html
