Saturday, October 15, 2011

Navy Command Fitness Leaders call out Chiefs and officers

Navy Times published an article recently which described problems with the PRT measurement and testing program.  Command Fitness Leaders have had enough and are calling out Chiefs and officers who have cheated and bullied their way to passing scores.

Having experienced this cheating and bullying first-hand in Japan, I am surprised to see how long it has taken for this story to surface.  Our CFL  (then CTM1 Holland/now CWO3CWO4) was responsible for CFL certification training for many of the other tenant command CLFs aboard Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan in the 1997-2000 timeframe.  He trained to the Navy standard.  Several CFAY Commanding Officers thought he was too tough in his training and fired their CFLs for being too strict.  Their "Holland" trained CFL had failed too many khaki test takers.  The CO appointed 'untrained' CFL passed them on the retest.  BTW, that CO's failing score was changed to a "PASSED/Within Standards".  Skipper - you know who you are.  Those aren't the only standards you ignored. 

I am anxious to see the 'rest of the story'.

16 comments:

Rotorhead said...

Bottom line up front: Leaders need to set the example in all ways, and indeed to set a higher standard for themselves. The khaki should be in the top 20% of their unit's PFA spread, in my opinion, and need to show up for group PFA (without their blackberries). Sailors notice little things like that.
-RH

Bob Moseley, USN (Ret) said...

On a related note, a quick look around the building here at ONI would point out that there is a serious problem with both personal appearnce and physical fitness across the spectrum for the assigned Navy personnel. It is particularly notable in the in the Khaki community. As I look out the window at the smoke break area, I see no less than 8 Khakis and an equal number of junior enlisted puffing away. Leaders need to do a self-assessment and see if the image that they are projecting is the right one. If the Navy is really serious about creating a culture of fitness, I haven't seen any evidence from the leadership.

Anonymous said...

A careful examination of the PRIMS data on our Flag officers would tell as sad story of noncompliance. That information is 'protected' by privacy laws. 'Protected' to protect the guilty.

CWO4 Brian Ashpole, USN-Retired said...

I wish that I could say that I'm "shocked and appalled."

Curtis said...

A stupid and pointless standard set by stupid and pointless people who hold themselves immune from the consequences of their pointless and stupid standard.
Nobody runs on a ship at war. Nobody was ever saved by having a body fat less than that mandated and yet many of our best techs are found to be severable because they're pencil necked geeks.
I always found that I could well do without the fitness freaks who were seldom found at work. Smug self satisfied little bastards that they are.

Steve said...

Give the fitness program - lock, stock & barrel to the Medical Department. It is best-suited to observe performance, mentor those with wellness or limiting deficiencies,and maintain the official records. The PFT is a Service program mandated for reasons that support general health and appearance objectives of the entire force,not just the jocks.
I disliked having to demonstrate my strength shortfalls in front of the sailors, but it set an example - for ME as well as Seaman Smith or Chief Jones.
Strength? Endurance? They can come in handy when the flighgt deck is afire and littered with ordnance that must be moved, pronto, or when we need to move a buddy/shipmate up steep ladders to safety - or from a bllazing Pentagon, on 9-11. Once in a lifetime? Once is enough, IMO.
Let the medical experts monitor the PFT.
And know that ADM Snuffy secretly might rather be somewhere else, too.
Steve Myers

Anonymous said...

As a former CHIEF and now LDO I will be happy to take a PT with anyone...I have never bullied my way in or out of a PT test...I take exception that every officer or chief is accused here...

CDR Paul Wilkes...50 years old 77 push ups 75 sit ups 12:26 mile and half.

Nutz said...

Come on now, we know the PRT works.. there is even the block(s) in the fitrep/eval to prove that it works.....as a FORCE SHAPING tool. Not a true evaluation of physical fitness. Me thinks the whole naval academy offensive line might be evlauted as morbidly overweight. See also Cadet Brady DeMell 74" 310lbs. Just a touch outside the 2011 table weight 74" 211 lbs... maybe he can "bull" the neck and squeek through... I am sure as a USNA '12 graduate, he will make a great officer. I would want him serving with me becasue I know this bubba can carry me to saftey from the bowels of a sinking ship. As opposed to this fine example....
http://nutzandcrackerz.blogspot.com/2011/09/standards.html

Joe Loomer said...

The CT community - CTI in particular - used to throw thousands of training dollars down the toilet because of a lack of fitness culture in A-schools. These Sailors - unprepared by their leadership - arrived at NACCS to find out the Navy expected Aircrew to be in shape. Attrition and order cancellations were happening in the final step of training - leaving commands with huge gaps in aircrew manning since it takes so long to train a CTI. This was resolved through leadership (Khaki leadership - CHIEF leadership) stepping to the plate and implementing a "volunteer" aircrew PT program at Goodfellow. Within six months, CTI attrition for PT failure was eliminated. The conversation with Sailors went something like this "you volunteered for Aircrew, therefore you volunteered for Aircrew PT." Step up again, fellow Chiefs.

Anonymous said...

Curtis, lets go for a quick 1.5 mile run, then we can do a quick 4 more miles that I do to work 3 times a week before working a 10-12 hour day before taking the train or running the 4 miles back home at night. but i meathead cant work hard.

Sailors Creed states I will follow the orders of those appointed over me. The CNO says stay in shape and workout 3 times a week 1 hour at a time. Pretty damn simple to me.

Anonymous said...

Captain Lambert,

Physical fitness is not a recent revelation that the Navy has brought upon its members. Sailors have had to endure the idiosyncrasies of superiors for physical fitness as long as there has been Sailors. We Destroyer Sailors back in the early 1960’s were subjected to the physical fitness mania that was referred to as our JFK’s. There is not a great deal of space on a Tin Can to exhibit running and such other physical endeavors as were required at the time by the program. Our good Destroyer was required to go to Charleston Naval Shipyard, in South Carolina for installation of a Variable Depth Sonar and we were in dry dock for that effort, and completion of a minor overhaul. A better time and position to get these Sailors into shape would never be found. Ten minutes after reveille the ships crew not actually on watch was required to assemble on the concrete surfaces above the dry dock and we were required to run around that dry dock for our JFK’s. It was still dark at that time of day/night and within the first three days members of the crew had gotten 2 broken ankles after tripping or stumbling over the steel tracks that allowed the cranes to move about the dry dock area. The Officer in charge of fitness stopped that particular exercise after that and planned other appropriate exercises for the crew, among those exercises was deep knee bends, which managed to disable another 3 Sailors by causing knee injuries. Good luck Sailors.

Very Respectfully,
Navyman834

Anonymous said...

The Navy didn't suddenly care about the PRT, they suddenly cared about an easy way to kick good sailors out because we can't manage our numbers.

You can be on your high-horse all you want, but you know as well as I do the only reason they want to crack down is to kick people out that they couldn't do otherwise because they are good sailors. The height/weight standards are completely out of whack and they want them that way. Again, easy way to thin the herd.

I've never failed a PRT, nor a weigh in (though I do get taped from time to time)...so I don't have a personal attack going on here, I'm just smart enough to see though the B.S.

Anonymous said...

Simple fact is if your fit, you can stay in. Simple as that. Not saying you have to be in Height / Weight standards, but the tape is pretty cut and dry. 22% for males and 33% for females is pretty relaxed if you ask me. All it takes is a very very small effort to pass. Even if you have a job where you sit behind a desk all day there is still time to go out and PT 3 hrs a week on your own time. Personal accountability. The only person to blame for a failure is yourself. Plain and simple.

Someone stated, "The Navy didn't suddenly care about the PRT, they suddenly cared about an easy way to kick good sailors out because we can't manage our numbers." No. If they were good sailors they would maintain good physical readiness year long. If you want a job that doesnt require you to PT, I suggest you become a civilian. This is the MILITARY, a combat ready force. No matter what your job you are a Sailor first and then your specialty. I think the people that complain need to do some sea time or actually go on a deployment. You need the strength and endurance to work a fire team, or get that fallen sailor to sick bay. I am actually glad they are enforcing this even more. This will keep the people in that actually want to be in the military.

Anonymous said...

Simple fact is if your fit, you can stay in. Simple as that. Not saying you have to be in Height / Weight standards, but the tape is pretty cut and dry. 22% for males and 33% for females is pretty relaxed if you ask me. All it takes is a very very small effort to pass. Even if you have a job where you sit behind a desk all day there is still time to go out and PT 3 hrs a week on your own time. Personal accountability. The only person to blame for a failure is yourself. Plain and simple.

Someone stated, "The Navy didn't suddenly care about the PRT, they suddenly cared about an easy way to kick good sailors out because we can't manage our numbers." No. If they were good sailors they would maintain good physical readiness year long. If you want a job that doesnt require you to PT, I suggest you become a civilian. This is the MILITARY, a combat ready force. No matter what your job you are a Sailor first and then your specialty. I think the people that complain need to do some sea time or actually go on a deployment. You need the strength and endurance to work a fire team, or get that fallen sailor to sick bay. I am actually glad they are enforcing this even more. This will keep the people in that actually want to be in the military.

Anonymous said...

3 times a week huh? Never once did we even pt once a month due to th skipper wanting to up the numbers of patient care so he could get a silver star. And give the boot to alot of great sailors to get another award for cutting budget...

Anonymous said...

I am currently the CFL at my command now. I love how no one seems to care about the PFA until the week before the BCA. I've been so stressed out these past few months since I took over because of the previous CFLs losing paperwork from previous cycles and not entering scores into PRIMS. I've been called many names, but I do not care! This cycle 25 people failed in my command, 23 of them just from the BCA (5 of them were Khakis!). And you can definitely see who got "hooked up" from the previous CFL. I just hope that the person that takes over can hold the standards that I did.