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                         February 8, 2002

Basic trainees begin new Physical Readiness Training 

By Laura Martinson

FORT BENNING, Ga. (Army News Service) -- Basic trainees at Fort Benning are now beginning a Physical Readiness Training program that includes the shuttle run, power squat and long jump.

Trainees that began their basic cycle Jan. 16 with C Company, 2/19th Infantry, are the first to implement the new PRT.

"In the past, the mentality of physical training was to break the body down and then rebuild it," said Sgt. Matthew Mobley, drill sergeant. "But now, we’re taking what’s there, building upon that, and using activities and movements soldiers will see on today’s modern battlefield."

"There’s a long-standing assumption that the more fit you are, the better you’ll be at your job," said Stephen Van Camp, chief of doctrine, U.S. Army Physical Fitness School. "But the real question is, ‘Fit for what?’"

"We’re focused on enhancing common tasks that every soldier has to do in basic training. The best way to do that is to develop exercises that will train soldiers to better perform those activities," Van Camp said.

"Soldiers have to move quickly, over, under and around objects and they have to be able to manage their own body weight. They need a balance of strength, endurance and mobility to meet any combat situation," he said.

The PRT is nothing new, Van Camp said. The balance comes from a variety of exercises similar to those used in the pre-World War II era such as calisthenics, vertical and lateral drills, and more explosive movements like power skipping.

A new physical training manual gets turned over about every decade.

Efforts to revise the physical readiness training stemmed from the basic premise of injury reduction. Injuries have indeed decreased in test groups, and performance has increased.

The PRT is ramped, meaning there are logical progressions for people at different fitness levels. A phased approach, beginning with the "toughening phase," lays the foundation for future physical advancements in the "sustaining phase."

"For a long time, soldiers have focused primarily on PT test scores," Mobley said. "We’ve concentrated less on battle skills, and that means we’re neglecting other necessary aspects of physical fitness. Variety is lacking."

That’s exactly what basic physical fitness studies are stating.

"All research points to giving the soldiers the body strength they would need in a battle situation," Van Camp said. "We follow the basic Army principle, ‘Train as you fight.’ It just makes sense."

"We won’t be able to evaluate the end product until the end of the cycle," Mobley said.

"People are usually resistant to change, but we are all motivated and anxious to see results."

Editor’s note: Laura Martinson is a staff writer for the Fort Benning Bayonet newspaper.