SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Editor's note: See the related video on the wing's Facebook Fan page at www.facebook.com/916ARW
Boot Camp.
It's a term that is all too familiar to everyone in the military. It is a time of transition, when everyday citizens are molded into the warriors that defend our great nation.
Recently this same concept has taken on a whole new meaning for Airmen at Seymour Johnson. A fitness program called Boot Camp is being held at the base's Health And Wellness Center for those who are striving to better their level of fitness.
Lt. Col. Christine Schlacter, acting commander for the 916th Maintenance Group, and her staff took note of the results that people were seeing and contacted Michael Unden about teaching the class on drill weekends. Unden, a former Marine, brought his tough, no nonsense fitness program to the fitness center here.
"We approached him about bringing what he was doing during the week into UTA weekends to work with our reservists who had failed the PT test and were struggling," said Schlacter. She added that 916th leadership saw the results that the maintainers were experiencing and wanted to broaden the program to include the entire wing.
Sessions are now offered to everyone on-base during drill weekends at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturdays and at 6 a.m. on Sundays.
"The cross training that Boot Camp provides is important," said Schlacter, adding that variations in one's exercise program has many benefits, not the least of which is helping people to get past plateaus in their training regime.
No one knows this better than Tech. Sgt. Mike Binda from the 916th Logistics Readiness Squadron. Binda struggled with his fitness standards and though he was actively working out, had reached a point at which he was unable to make any more gains, or drop anymore weight. He learned techniques through Boot Camp that helped him understand what he needed to do to get over the hump.
"I'd been doing 45 minutes on the treadmill at lunch each day, and I saw the Boot Camp class. I got to the point that I wasn't seeing any results from the treadmill, so I started doing Boot Camp a couple times per week in the mornings," said Binda.
Binda said that after only three months in the Boot Camp program, he took his fit-to-fight test again and was amazed at the results.
"Just after I took my fitness retest for the second time, I scored a 47.8, but after three months of Boot Camp for five days a week, I scored an 80.6!" Binda went on to add that his run time improved by more than three minute, he performed the maximum required push-ups and cut 3 ½ inches from his waist measurement.
In addition to the obvious physical attributes, Binda said that there were other fringe benefits as well.
"It totally changed my outlook on how you get into shape," said Binda, "I learned that your core is very important, that all of your body is all inter-matched. Boot Camp works with all of that."
Boot Camp is a high intensity program run through the Seymour Johnson Health and Wellness Center (HAWC) that focuses on core body strength, muscular endurance, cardio-vascular endurance and obtaining individualized results from a variety of exercises. Classes are held throughout the week in addition to those on UTA weekend.
For more information on this and other fitness programs, contact the HAWC at 919-722-0407.