Combat Fitness a Concept Vital to National Defense

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA530226&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
Combat Fitness a Concept Vital to National Defense
Major Christopher P. Larkin, U.S. Air Force
Masters Thesis


Current combat operations have uncovered some disturbing issues in the ground combatant‘s mental and physical ability to withstand the extreme demands of continuous combat operations in the harsh environmental conditions, such as those seen in Iraq and Afghanistan. These issues are creating significant problems in the American military‘s ability to sustain a healthy force able to handle the country‘s most difficult tasks. This research paper takes a critical look at the Service level physical fitness programs to determine if the fitness training currently being conducted is sufficient to train and sustain the ground combatants throughout their military careers. In today‘s environment of a tightening budget, reduced manpower and rising healthcare costs, it is imperative that the DoD take the appropriate actions to prepare and maintain its most vital weapons system, the human. Therefore, the DoD must embrace and incorporate modern physical fitness training systems, techniques, technology, and testing to better train and prepare ground combatants for the rigors of combat, including improved battlefield effectiveness and prolonged individual operational longevity, while minimizing the rash of short- and long-term injuries currently plaguing the force.