Posted on Jul 10, 2015
"Colonel relieved of command for failing fitness test"
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From: USA Today
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The Air Force removed the commander of the Grand Forks Air Base in North Dakota because he failed his physical fitness test.
Col. Tim Bush is no longer in command of the 319th Air Base Wing at the base as of Wednesday, Maj. Mike Andrews, spokesman for Air Mobility Command, said in a statement. The wing's vice commander, Col. Christopher Mann, is interim commander until a replacement is found.
Bush had failed the physical fitness test because his waistline was measured at 41 inches, 2 inches above the limit, he said.
"Bush was not relieved for alleged misconduct or wrongdoing," a news release from Air Mobility Command said.
The colonel told his airmen the same day, announcing it at the end of a routine commander's call.
"I closed by discussing our Air Force traditions, our core values and our standards, and that we are the greatest Air Force the world has ever seen because we have standards and we enforce those standards and we hold people accountable," Bush told Air Force Times. "In this case, I didn't meet it, so I need to step down as commander.
"I offered the wing a final salute and then I left the stage," Bush said.
Until that point, Bush had an enviable record. His previous assignments include serving as presidential advance agent for Air Force One, aide-de-camp to the commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command and deputy director of mobility forces for U.S. Air Forces Central Command at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. He was a 1988 Air Force Academy graduate.
His military decorations include the Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
Maj. Gen. William Bender, the Air Force Expeditionary Center commander who oversees administrative control for six wings and two groups within Air Mobility Command, made the decision to relieve Bush of command.
When talking about the abrupt end of his Air Force career, Bush stressed repeatedly that the Air Force has its standards for a reason and no one should be exempt from them.
"As a wing commander, I have a duty and responsibility to adhere to and enforce all Air Force standards, and in this particular case, I did not meet an Air Force standard," Bush said. "When you don't meet the standards as the commander, you can't be the commander."
He expressed no ill will toward the Air Force for relieving him of command.
"A tough decision for my chain of command, but in terms of enforcing equitably up and down all ranks, the Air Force made a fair and just decision," Bush said.
This was not the first time Bush has had problems with the physical fitness test. After having shoulder surgery a year ago, he was unable to complete it, he said. After some recovery, he passed the test in May but still could not do the pushup portion of the test.
On his latest test, he was able to pass everything except the waist measurement.
"I'm always confident that I can pass situps, pushups and run; I never had a problem with that, but I've been a big guy all my life," Bush said. "I'm not a string bean, but I think I'm prepared to do what my Air Force and nation ask me to do," Bush said. "However, in this particular situation, I did not meet the standard, and so I have to step down as the commander."
The Air Force's fitness standards have been a "moving target" since Bush graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1988, he said. "But we have better standards now than we did when I joined the Air Force in the '80s, and we have a better Air Force because of it."
Laurie Johnson, Bush's sister, remembers one moment that shows just how deeply Bush believes the Air Force makes the right call.
Johnson, who also was in the Air Force, was passed over for promotion to lieutenant colonel because of an error on someone else's part, she said. When she told her brother about it, Bush told her to fight the decision.
"I remember his words to me, too. He said, 'Sis, the Air Force is fair and sometimes their initial decision might not be a fair one; however, the thing I love about the military is that there are always ways to come around and have your stuff looked at fairly,'" she said.
Ultimately, she won and was promoted.
Bush was a true mentor to noncommissioned officers who went the extra mile — celebrating with them when they were promoted, Johnson said.
"He was the one who flew down on his own dime, a lot of times, to be at their ceremonies to congratulate them — to actually be that presence and not just send a note but actually be there," she said. "You just don't see that in all the leadership."
For Bush, who has requested to retire, the future suddenly has become uncertain.
"My wife and I are exploring any and all opportunities," he said. "My daughter will graduate high school here in Grand Forks on May 26, so we'll stay here in the local area until she graduates."
Bush hopes airmen can use his experience as a teachable moment.
"I think the airmen need to know it doesn't matter whether you have one stripe (or) you've got bars, stars, leaves or eagles; you are accountable to meet the Air Force standards," he said.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/25/air-force-colonel-waistline/2017841/
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The Air Force removed the commander of the Grand Forks Air Base in North Dakota because he failed his physical fitness test.
Col. Tim Bush is no longer in command of the 319th Air Base Wing at the base as of Wednesday, Maj. Mike Andrews, spokesman for Air Mobility Command, said in a statement. The wing's vice commander, Col. Christopher Mann, is interim commander until a replacement is found.
Bush had failed the physical fitness test because his waistline was measured at 41 inches, 2 inches above the limit, he said.
"Bush was not relieved for alleged misconduct or wrongdoing," a news release from Air Mobility Command said.
The colonel told his airmen the same day, announcing it at the end of a routine commander's call.
"I closed by discussing our Air Force traditions, our core values and our standards, and that we are the greatest Air Force the world has ever seen because we have standards and we enforce those standards and we hold people accountable," Bush told Air Force Times. "In this case, I didn't meet it, so I need to step down as commander.
"I offered the wing a final salute and then I left the stage," Bush said.
Until that point, Bush had an enviable record. His previous assignments include serving as presidential advance agent for Air Force One, aide-de-camp to the commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command and deputy director of mobility forces for U.S. Air Forces Central Command at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. He was a 1988 Air Force Academy graduate.
His military decorations include the Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
Maj. Gen. William Bender, the Air Force Expeditionary Center commander who oversees administrative control for six wings and two groups within Air Mobility Command, made the decision to relieve Bush of command.
When talking about the abrupt end of his Air Force career, Bush stressed repeatedly that the Air Force has its standards for a reason and no one should be exempt from them.
"As a wing commander, I have a duty and responsibility to adhere to and enforce all Air Force standards, and in this particular case, I did not meet an Air Force standard," Bush said. "When you don't meet the standards as the commander, you can't be the commander."
He expressed no ill will toward the Air Force for relieving him of command.
"A tough decision for my chain of command, but in terms of enforcing equitably up and down all ranks, the Air Force made a fair and just decision," Bush said.
This was not the first time Bush has had problems with the physical fitness test. After having shoulder surgery a year ago, he was unable to complete it, he said. After some recovery, he passed the test in May but still could not do the pushup portion of the test.
On his latest test, he was able to pass everything except the waist measurement.
"I'm always confident that I can pass situps, pushups and run; I never had a problem with that, but I've been a big guy all my life," Bush said. "I'm not a string bean, but I think I'm prepared to do what my Air Force and nation ask me to do," Bush said. "However, in this particular situation, I did not meet the standard, and so I have to step down as the commander."
The Air Force's fitness standards have been a "moving target" since Bush graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1988, he said. "But we have better standards now than we did when I joined the Air Force in the '80s, and we have a better Air Force because of it."
Laurie Johnson, Bush's sister, remembers one moment that shows just how deeply Bush believes the Air Force makes the right call.
Johnson, who also was in the Air Force, was passed over for promotion to lieutenant colonel because of an error on someone else's part, she said. When she told her brother about it, Bush told her to fight the decision.
"I remember his words to me, too. He said, 'Sis, the Air Force is fair and sometimes their initial decision might not be a fair one; however, the thing I love about the military is that there are always ways to come around and have your stuff looked at fairly,'" she said.
Ultimately, she won and was promoted.
Bush was a true mentor to noncommissioned officers who went the extra mile — celebrating with them when they were promoted, Johnson said.
"He was the one who flew down on his own dime, a lot of times, to be at their ceremonies to congratulate them — to actually be that presence and not just send a note but actually be there," she said. "You just don't see that in all the leadership."
For Bush, who has requested to retire, the future suddenly has become uncertain.
"My wife and I are exploring any and all opportunities," he said. "My daughter will graduate high school here in Grand Forks on May 26, so we'll stay here in the local area until she graduates."
Bush hopes airmen can use his experience as a teachable moment.
"I think the airmen need to know it doesn't matter whether you have one stripe (or) you've got bars, stars, leaves or eagles; you are accountable to meet the Air Force standards," he said.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/25/air-force-colonel-waistline/2017841/
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 52
SFC Donald Neal
The waist measurement is actually a component of their PT test. Each event gets a score, with a minimum for each event, and then a minimum total. It is a weird system when you first observe it. My first job after the Army was working on an AF base, big learning curve, and I learned all kinds of things.
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SSgt Tara Bunke Meyers
Unfortunately it's not that simple. In the AF, you can be physically fit and pass the physical portion of the test with flying colors, but fail due to the waistline measurement even when you're not fat.
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Fired for being fat. Then once we get the Force healthy and living longer we cut benefits. Hmmmm. We'd be better off issuing every member over 18 years a carton of Luckies & case of whiskey so they'd die sooner.
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The waist measurement is as arbitrary a standard as I have ever seen. It makes no sense. That being said the other aspects of the AF PT test are too low to be a good standard of fitness. But it is a good tool to thin the herd when necessary.
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But the failure satisfies the chest beating ego-narcissism of the bean counters (and that's all that matters to senior management <== how THEY are PERCEIVED)
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MSgt Mark Bucher
Bean counters did more to fuck up the AF than anything else I saw during my 24 years
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He's been in his current position at Grand Forks for a little over two years and his prior command was stateside as well. Something tells me that his next assignment would have been at a short tour to someplace unpleasant. I wonder if this wasn't an active decision on his part. Go out with a bang rather than be forced to endure another year away from his family. Its happened before.
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Not saying Col. BUSH is a bad person but it is about dame time. To many times during my 30 year career did i see one standard for airmen and NCOS and one standard for officers. This includes SNCOS who I am putting myself in the group of leadership that I felt sometimes may have been passed under circumstances where a airmen would not have been. PT has been a issue for some time in the Air Force and has not been consistent in its treatment and the way measurements and weight were calculated within the PT exam. I served with many airmen near the end of my career in 2010 to 2012 that were immediately kicked out of the service without consideration for the purpose of the failure but told that they did not meet the standard no matter what there performance was. Some of these airmen and junior NCOS were men and women who in all regards could run faster and were much stronger then some of those that were not fit enough to pass all phases of the PT test. I can personally say that I served under a Squadron Commander and a Mission Support group commander who could not do a pushup, situp to save there lives and were noticably over weight too but consistently seem to pass that PT test every year. Funny sometimes I never saw them even take the test.
Regardless I am glad the Airforce is starting to hold everyone to the same standard as everyone else whether that person is a airmen, NCO, or Officer. I commend Col. BUSH for being candid and honest about his physical condition and excepting responsibility not only to his peers but subordinates.
Regardless I am glad the Airforce is starting to hold everyone to the same standard as everyone else whether that person is a airmen, NCO, or Officer. I commend Col. BUSH for being candid and honest about his physical condition and excepting responsibility not only to his peers but subordinates.
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He at one time must have passed the waist measurement test. He didn’t go to bed one night with a 39” waist and wake up with a 41”+ waist. He knew the standards and sometime during his career had to enforce standards with subordinates. He may have been a great commander and a great guy, but great guys need to meet the standard too.
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SSgt Donnavon Smith
Not really. when I was on the dancing chicken Program and getting taped weekly, my take would go up or down 2-3 inches weekly. it is the person doing the measurements
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Personally I see no problem with any service member being relieved of a position or command for not meeting the standards the branches put out to others. There is no place, especially nowadays that a person who chooses to serve that they do not meet every standard required they should step aside.
As a medically retired army soldier, I understood the reason why they felt the need to let me go, I simply could not pick up a rucksack and run with a full load in it as well as dodge incoming rounds or fire and knew that going back to my unit would make me the "weakest link" which meant putting my fellow service members in danger.
As a medically retired army soldier, I understood the reason why they felt the need to let me go, I simply could not pick up a rucksack and run with a full load in it as well as dodge incoming rounds or fire and knew that going back to my unit would make me the "weakest link" which meant putting my fellow service members in danger.
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RallyPoint Shared Content As it should be... Too often, senior leaders fail to meet weight and physical fitness standards, and no one does a thing.
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COL Charles Williams
CPT Toby Forbes - Ah so. I understand. We, in the Army, especially Officers, don't make the standards, but we are expected to enforce them, which means you need be able to at least meet them.. preferably exceed them... That is what leaders do.
Most of us, get one shot at command, at every level, and there are no second chances, do overs, or probation... Nor should there be for failing to meet basic standards. This is about command and individual responsibility and accountability. Not easy, but it is the standard hold commanders to.
I expected that if I could not pass the APFT, or failed the meet the standard of 600-9 while in Battalion or Brigade Commander, I would be handled as any Soldier, and would have been relieved. I scored 290 or above on every PT test, and for the last ten years of my career... like you will likely have to... I had to watch what I ate and pay attention. I still do, as I still wear the uniform... the same uniform.
Relieving a Commander does not mean his career is down the drain... It means his chances of future jobs and services are limited or nil. He will likely move to a staff job and fade away.
I believe in standards, at that you have to live them, and lead by example as a leader, especially as a commander. Standards are standards.
Most of us, get one shot at command, at every level, and there are no second chances, do overs, or probation... Nor should there be for failing to meet basic standards. This is about command and individual responsibility and accountability. Not easy, but it is the standard hold commanders to.
I expected that if I could not pass the APFT, or failed the meet the standard of 600-9 while in Battalion or Brigade Commander, I would be handled as any Soldier, and would have been relieved. I scored 290 or above on every PT test, and for the last ten years of my career... like you will likely have to... I had to watch what I ate and pay attention. I still do, as I still wear the uniform... the same uniform.
Relieving a Commander does not mean his career is down the drain... It means his chances of future jobs and services are limited or nil. He will likely move to a staff job and fade away.
I believe in standards, at that you have to live them, and lead by example as a leader, especially as a commander. Standards are standards.
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SSgt Tara Bunke Meyers
I worked with a surgeon that got a 7 on his fit test. Yes, that's right, a seven. He didn't get kicked out because the AF had paid for his college.
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I'm not sure what to say to this. From the picture it doesn't seem possible. I generally applaud ensuring the rules are applied to all, they should be. But something doesn't seem right here.
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