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I always asked myself why does the army always run all the time. we run almost 3 times a week on top on a pt test for 2 miles. To me it's pointless to ever run that far. Can name one time you ran 2 miles on your life to for a reason besides the military that mattered.
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 51
you go to combat and your vehicle gets shoot up, the nearest help is 2 and a half miles away, and the enemy is bearing down on you. What are you going to do? Are you going to sit there and get shoot and killed or are you going to try and get to help? That's why you run!
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Ground forces learned during WW1 - WW2 and other conflicts that the best way to bring soldiers home was to make sure that they were in good physical shape. Combat readiness is the goal along with soldiers returning home. Long foot marches led to some issues and we learned from the past that some health issues could be prevented by a well thought out PT program. The Air Force is a service that is not on the ground and mostly supports the Marines and Army. Being on the ground in different terrain and environments means being physically fit and mentally prepared. The better shape you are in, the better mentally and physically prepared you are. So that 2 miles might just prepare you to save a life of someone or yourself.
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Based on the comments I've read it appears to me that some of U's haven't been in combat. This is the "New Army" that I hate; nothing but a bunch of baby whiners. Why this, why that, how come, what's the point. I learned from my BC Drill Sgt Conway (VN Vet) never to ask why, but, do as you're told and that my friends is the reason why I'm still alive. NOT TO PUT DOWN those 58,479 who didn't come back from Nam and Y'all should be thankful and pay RESPECT to them because they paid the highest price for us to enjoy our Freedom of Speech and Expression and quit your whining. The more you sweat running the 2 miles, the less you'll bleed in combat.
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Very simple: running 2 miles (or more) on a regular basis increases both your cardio fitness and your endurance. Specifically, it helps you put in continuous 18+ hour days, while conducting operations.
While stationed in Germany in the mid-80s, in garrison, my unit ran 5 to 8 miles per day (in formation), 5 days a week.
One result of that running program was a level of fitness and endurance that allowed working 18 to 22+ hours a day for the duration of those 2 or 3 week long FTXs.
Does running 2 miles have any direct correlation to something you might do in combat? Probably not. But, it does give you the cardio fitness and endurance to effectively conduct lengthy, physically-intense operations with relatively little sleep/rest.
And that, when you cut out all of the BS, is the entire purpose of the PT program: combat effectiveness....
While stationed in Germany in the mid-80s, in garrison, my unit ran 5 to 8 miles per day (in formation), 5 days a week.
One result of that running program was a level of fitness and endurance that allowed working 18 to 22+ hours a day for the duration of those 2 or 3 week long FTXs.
Does running 2 miles have any direct correlation to something you might do in combat? Probably not. But, it does give you the cardio fitness and endurance to effectively conduct lengthy, physically-intense operations with relatively little sleep/rest.
And that, when you cut out all of the BS, is the entire purpose of the PT program: combat effectiveness....
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I hated that Sh-t! But it kept my pulse rate low for that slow trigger pull. One Shot One Kill. Hoorah
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2.5 if you choose to walk fast//one foot on ground at all times //no jogging
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Ladies and Gentlemen it is about overall conditioning. I never in 22yrs. actually done any event from PT for as many reps. cycles or distance that we trained for. I is all about overall conditioning both mental and Physical, When I first got in we done the inverted crawl it was a part of the PT Test once it was no longer in the PT Test I never done it again.
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I never comment on here, but I just want to say I have really enjoyed this thread. SPC Plight - Read everything SFC Johnston said. He used to work for me and he was smarter than me then, and he's a heck of a lot smarter than me now. That was a clear explanation as to why we tested the way we did, and why we are transitioning to something else. To everyone who calmly and rationally explained that the 2 mi run isn't measuring your ability to "run 2 miles in combat" - thank you. You get it. I am 51 years old. No profiles, been running for pleasure and for the Army for almost 30 years. I'm not fast. I'm a grinder, but I like to run. On the civilian side - I have worked in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention for 25 years so I really like what Michelle Napper had to say - very clear and lucid. Read her stuff too. The myth that running hurts you more than it helps was always - at best - a urban legend spread by non-runners. If you can run - run. Its good for you, physically, mentally and you need to tax yourself to improve. If you cant - then don't, but don't try to talk us runners out of the benefits over walking. If walking was that much better for you, there wouldn't be runners. We're not stupid, we're just faster and we like to breathe harder. I want Soldiers who meet standards. Who can dig deep. Who can gut tough stuff out. I don't want excuses or profiles or waivers. There are THOUSANDS of Soldiers on walking profiles right now trying to figure out how to get back into running and overcome their profile, or planning their exit strategy for the Army - and rightfully so. The ACFT has some Soldiers scared - and rightfully so. But these things are standards so you meet or exceed them - not find ways around them. Never once have I been lit on fire but I still make sure my gloves have NOMEX in them. Not once have I lost an eye but I still wear eye-pro. Not one have I been attacked with nerve agent, but I still make sure I know how to put a mask on. "Not once did I"...."not once did I..." "not once did I...".etc etc. As leaders we field the "not once did I...so why do we...?" questions from our subordinate Soldiers all the time. Constantly. So we owe them the right answers. We don't let personal bias get in the way. We aren't supposed to say "I'm a walker to running is stupid to assess fitness" anymore than we are supposed to say "well that's just the way we've always done it." Or the dreaded: "There have been no SIGACTS on this route for weeks so we don't need to do the brief or PCC/PCI...everyone just load up..." No. We teach. We explain. Purpose, Direction and Motivation. And we back it up. I'm encouraged by some of the responses on here and discouraged by others. PT always gets people opinionated and fired up! It makes for a good read. It is a great thread to demonstrate how Army leaders are not of one-mind on things like they used to be way, WAY back in the day. Other things I liked in this thread: Someone threw some Loggy-shade. Nice. =) And finally - someone threw out "Jackwagon". I used to love calling people Jackwagon. thx for that. =)
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