Posted on Apr 9, 2014
CW2 Jonathan Kantor
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This has always been a pet peeve of mine.  We form up in full Winter APFUs because it's friggin cold outside, and the 1SG tells us to take our pants off. WHY? It's COLD!

Am I the only person in the military who gets cold when my legs are exposed to cold air and wind? We usually just stand there waiting for who knows what to start the formation usually after it was supposed to begin. I once had to take an APFT at Ft. Huachuca while it was 30° with a really cold wind. We had to take off our pants for that one. Too cold. Way too cold. Am I just bitching? Is this because I am a Floridian?

All I really want to know is why do senior NCOs make this call? Can't we take the pants off when we actually start PT?
Posted in these groups: New army apfu pt shirt  59013 1416262194 1280 1280 APFUImgres Physical TrainingA39b6021 Formation
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Responses: 117
SPC Rick LaBonte
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Born and raised in Michigan here. When I did commercial logging law required me to wear ballistic nylon either in the form of chaps or pants. The pants came in either a "summer weight" or "winter weight", no one ever bought the winter weight because you'll sweat in the summer weight at 5 degrees in the winter. Guys like me just used canvas pants and chaps. PT is a little more strenuous and a 30 degree day in Arizona sounds nice-try Ft Riley KS at 20 plus a wind chill index!
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PFC Leander Yazzie
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1Sgt but check who's with me hooah!!


Everyone else..........


Chica boww wooow!!


Seriously acclimate or die!
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SSG James Dennis
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At least now we have decent PT Sweats. Anyone remember the banana suits from the 80's?
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SGT James Halfhill
SGT James Halfhill
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Oh yeah the old banana suits
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SSG Laurie Mullen
SSG Laurie Mullen
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I was fortunate enough to just miss those.
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CPT Signal Officer
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CW2? You mean, you were actually in formation?
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CPT Signal Officer
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I didn't fully understand that concept until I went to ranger school during the winter months. The reason for taking off the tops and bottoms in the cold was for the purpose of the body sweating, if you kept the gear on then your body would continue to be cold afterwards instead of after doing PT and putting the gear back on, it would warm your body.
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MSG Clark Shumway
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Nobody ever said that the ARMY was smart.
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SPC Joshua Davis
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The only time this became a issue for me was Ft . Eustis during AIT for an APFT the DS made us wear full winter PT gear pants included. When we got to the run I had to strip off my jacket and pants while running. Still ran a 12:00 2 mile after tripping while taking off my pants... drill was impressed lol
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LTC Paul Labrador
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Uniformity. Uniformity. Uniformity. Because invariably someone will show up without pants... ;o)

That was a peeve of mine too, at least at the start of formation before we got warmed up. Taking them off for any running thought just makes sense unless you are in below freezing weather as you will warm up, and get you pants wet with sweat.... which will then not keep you warm.
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A1C Cyber Security (IA and COMSEC)
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Exposure to the cold makes you burn more calories because your body expends more energy to keep your core temperature up. So they're doing you a favor by making you cold. They just don't want you to get fat.
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SPC Construction Equipment Repairer
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I think the reason is because when we do or we sweat. When it is cold and we stop doing it or get to sweaty the amount of moisture built up on us can lead to hypothermia.
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