Posted on Nov 20, 2014
SFC Civil Affairs Specialist
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Am I the only one who feels this is completely backward, asinine, counter productive, and a microcosm of everything thats plaguing our Military. Even as a young private I could never understand the logic. Since I left conventional Army this has not been an issue(thankfully so).

Even when I would be sucking and puffing in my early days, I knew it was MY personal responsibility to improve my run, which included running after work. It used to piss me off to no end knowing I"m busting my a$$ improving on my time, while we are here slowing up a moderate run pace to accommodate pvt "couldnt care" because he could honestly care less.. Your thoughts?
Posted in these groups: Logo no word s FitnessP542 APFT
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SGT 94 E Radio Comsec Repairer
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SFC (Join to see),

Does your PT leader know that unit formation runs should only occur once every 3 months? FM 7-22 paragraph 10-34 states that unit formation runs "should be performed no more than once per quarter due to the limited training effect offered for the entire unit." The other runs should be AGR (ability group runs), hill repeats, 60/120s, etc. See, even the FM agrees with you!
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MSG Wade Huffman
MSG Wade Huffman
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Bingo! "morale runs' (yea, I know, oxymoron!) are for team building and unit morale, not for improving fitness.
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WO1 Information Technology Specialist
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Its not about accommodating the slowest person its about the '"team" and we are only strong as our weakest link. Also it should be used to motivate the slowest person. That aside I understand where you are coming from especially if your unit decides to do alot of group runs.
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MSG Military Science Instructor
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As a PLT SGT I schedule platoon level runs to build teamwork and motivate those soldiers who are not runners. However, I do brief them prior to the run that we will not go at a pace that could be considered walking because no improvement will be made from that. Furthermore, at least once a week we conduct ability group runs to allow my fast soldiers to go out and run as fast as they want. I always take the slower soldier and keep them together maintaining a suitable pace that would allow them to complete a 4-mile run in 36 minutes. At times this is very challenging because I have to speed up and slow down to be able to meet the 36 minute standard. Do we meet the standard every time? Absolutely not.

No for those soldier who continually show no concern to improve all I do is counsel them for failure to meet the unit standard of 4-milies in 36 minutes. I only counsel them if I have told them that we are conducting a 4-mile run for time in preparation for the unit 4-mile run. I also invite my soldiers to run on the weekends if they desire to improve. To no surprise nobody ever comes out to enjoy a run with the PLT SGT.
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Running at the pace of the slowest person?
SSG Platoon Sergeant
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WO1 (Join to see) put it perfectly...there is nothing on the battlefield not done as a team. Its about building teamwork.
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CW5 Command Chief Warrant Officer
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Is the slowest soldier in the formation trying to get better or just not giving a damn? Are you running every run like this? Once in a while, it is ok to run as a team at a pace that everyone can do, but most of the time you need to do PT that will help everyone improve their fitness.
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PFC Zanie Young
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Considering I was one of the slowest people running cross-country and the fastest up a hill, I can more or less understand the frustration that fellow SMs have whenever I fell out. It wasn't because I didn't care (I have spent 2 weeks in in the FTC at Fort Jackson), I just wasn't built that way. However, I didn't want somebody making accommodations for me, it was on me to do whatever it took to improve my stamina while doing PT runs. That, and the Drill Sergeant motivating me along the way, helped me break that barrier.
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SSG Courtney Ellis
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Sgt Daniel Aldana I showed up at a unit and thought I was in great shape, then we went on our first run. I was that slow guy in the back and I felt it was my sole responsibility to improve myself in order to keep up. I ran after hours, on the weekends, and then I started to run all the time. There is a such thing as self accountability and I felt I needed to up my game. Well I got much better than would ever expected I would; and still run even in retirement, but yeah you can't always accommodate some people and yet we still have to think about pt that suites the unit as a whole. My 1SG said if want to be great you have to do your best every time, and give you all every time, not some of the time but all of the time!! By the way now I am known as that guy who runs all over base!!
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Sgt Packy Flickinger
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It's really hard to run at an extremely slow pace. It's also counter productive to physical fitness and combat training. We need to take it like a test, 70% can keep up, 30% can't. It will push the rest harder. And the bottom 10% will need extra PT.
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CW5 Desk Officer
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SFC (Join to see), I could not agree more. The absolute best PT I did - in 30.5 years of active duty - was when I was in the 82d Airborne Infantry (C Co, 1/504). Our 1SG would take us out and try to smoke us every day! And if a troop fell out ... well, there was an NCO in the rear of the formation who was taking names. Those who fell out got to re-assemble at 1630 for remedial PT. I felt really good being part of that unit, and that type of PT contributed to the feeling. It built esprit de corps like almost nothing else can (in peacetime).
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SGT Richard H.
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In a perfect world, you run at the pace of the slowest man and keep increasing the pace, bringing him with you. That's how teams work.
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