Military Review English Edition September-October 2014 | Page 16
Photo by Marie Berberea, Cannoneer staff
Soldiers in the Master Fitness Trainer Course step across Prichard Field at Fort Sill, Okla. as part of a warm-up before physical readiness
training, 5 June 2013.
Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine and trainers from the U.S. Army Physical Fitness School combined efforts to produce the first-generation PRT in the
early 2000s. The new PRT was intended as an update
to a traditional methodology of calisthenics, push-up
and sit-up variations, and long-distance running in
formation. The genesis of PRT “involved six different
types of exercises: calisthenics, dumbbell drills, movement drills, interval training, long-distance running,
and flexibility training.”3
In October 2012, new doctrinal guidance was
published in FM 7-22. The FM is like a 400-page,
college-level textbook. The content is organized by
PRT philosophy, strategy, and activities. The manual improves on outdated doctrine by including
designs meant to decrease injuries resulting from
sudden increases in running mileage; phased training (systematic planning of PRT) and specified rest
and recovery points; a greater range of fitness needs
applicable to combat, such as mobility, flexibility,
and agility; and some limited accommodations for
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updated training guidelines from organizations such
as the American College of Sports Medicine.
Unfortunately, the complexity and breadth of its
approach can be overwhelming. I have heard from
many soldiers who have found FM 7-22 difficult to
understand, including sergeants and staff sergeants
responsible for leading and guiding PRT. It attempts
to engage audiences—from brigade command-level
leadership, to rifle team leaders and combat arms
units, to support units—but those audiences seem to
be struggling with it.
Moreover, the FM does not provide metrics, definitions, or measurable standards (with the exception
of some general movement execution standards). This
leaves a dizzying amount of information for users to
define for themselves.
The FM attempts to match PRT phases (initial
conditioning phase, toughening phase, and sustaining
phase) to the Army force generation (ARFORGEN)
force pools (rotational phases known as RESET, train/
ready, and available).4 However, the ARFORGEN
September-October 2014 MILITARY REVIEW