Missouri Guard's missions demand strong emphasis on physical fitness

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The stereotype that many National Guard Soldiers have flabby physiques has never been an accurate one, but Sgt. 1st Class Michael Halter has tolerated the unfair myth his entire military career.

"My whole life I've heard it; that we're beer-bellied, fat boys who are out of shape," said Halter, the noncommissioned officer in charge of Missouri's Second Medical Detachment. "It's never been true, overall, but it's certainly not true now."

The Missouri National Guard has always had a strong emphasis on physical fitness, but the ever-increasing operational tempo of the Guard demands that its Citizen-Soldiers be in good physical condition -- whether they're being deployed to dangerous combat zones overseas or activated for state emergency duties at home.

"We can't afford not to be fit," Halter said. "The public counts on us being in good shape to be able to protect them. Our fellow Soldiers have to be able to count on us to do our jobs. Staying in shape is part of the job. Our Soldiers realize that."

In addition to routine workouts throughout the year, the National Guard conducts Army physical fitness tests once a year, which consists of push-ups, sit-ups and a timed two-mile run. The passing requirements are identical to regular Army standards, with age and gender factored in. Full-time National Guard Soldiers must pass the test twice a year.

For example, a 36-year-old man must do 36 push-ups and 42 sit-ups in two minutes and run two miles in 17 minutes and 42 seconds. A 30-year-old woman must do 17 push-ups and 45 sit-ups in two minutes and has 20 minutes and 30 seconds to complete the two-mile run.

The National Guard plays as big a role as any other military component in the Armed Forces, said Maj. Scot Ratcliff, the 1140th Engineer Battalion's administrative officer.

"So we realize it's important for our Soldiers to lead healthy lifestyles," said Ratcliff, who also has a Bachelor's in health management and a minor in athletic training. "We have to find time to exercise and we know it's hard with our personal schedules. But it's important."

The APFT provides a measure of cardio-respiratory and upper and lower body muscular endurance, Ratcliff said. The performance test measures a Soldier's ability to perform physically and handle his or her own body weight.

"Many of us no longer wait until it gets close to test time to get physically prepared," Ratcliff said. "We know it's something we need to work on all year and that's how most of us handle it."

On a recent Saturday, members of the Cape Girardeau-based 1140th Engineer Battalion took its annual physical test at Trail of Tears State Park, with Soldiers from its Headquarters and Forward Support companies. The next day, members of the 880th Engineer Team (HAUL) from Perryville took its physical test at Trail of Tears, as well.

"The public still has a misperception about the National Guard and Reserves," said Master Sgt. Michael Schnurbusch, who took the test at Trail of Tears and serves as the 1140th's battalion operations noncommissioned officer. "But due to the current operation tempo and the frequency of our missions, we can't afford to be out of shape. Keeping our physical well-being up is a must."

The Guard has a commitment to keeping its Soldiers in shape, said Staff Sgt. David Hudson, the 1140th's training noncommissioned officer. Hudson works for the Guard full-time and notes that a gym is provided in the Cape Girardeau armory and at many armories across the state. Full-time Guard staff are also allowed to exercise for one hour, three times a week during work hours.

"Things used to be a bit more lax," Hudson said. "It's serious now. Now if you fail two times, you could be processed out. That's how important it is."

Soldiers who fail any portion of the test must retake the entire test within three months. Those who are flagged for physical fitness test failure are not eligible for promotion, reenlistments or enlistment extensions. More than 85 percent of those who took the physical test at Trail of Tears passed.

"It's for the Soldiers own good," Hudson said. "You never know when we're going to be deployed. Anytime we're deployed, it's going to be physically demanding."

If it's a state emergency duty, such as a flood, Hudson points out that Guardsmen could be filling and placing sandbags for up to 12 hours. If a Soldier is sent overseas to a combat zone, he or she certainly does not want to be in poor physical condition when their lives could be on the line.

"If you're going to be in the military, it just makes sense to be in good shape," he said. "It's vital, in this line of work."

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.

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For more information about this release, please contact Scott Moyers at 573-339-6237 or at scott.moyers1@us.army.mil