JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- A new emphasis on functional fitness is central to the U.S. Air Force mission to Fly, Fight and Win.
To continue to build on Comprehensive Airmen Fitness, the Air Force Services Activity, or AFSVA, is teaming with obstacle race specialists Alpha Warrior using equipment similar to what is seen on the television competition series American Ninja Warrior.
The Air Force Alpha Warrior program incorporates the four pillars of CAF – physical, mental, social and spiritual – to achieve readiness and resiliency at home and while deployed.
Eighteen battle rigs and 25 stations will be rolled out across 41 installations worldwide this fiscal year and will be at the core of the program, said Jim Anderson, chief of AFSVA’s Business and Recreation Branch. All other Air Force installations are expected to receive equipment in fiscal 2018.
Battle Stations are approximately 12-foot wide by 12-foot long, measure 11 feet in height and consist of six obstacles. Battle Rigs measure 15-by-30 feet wide, 12½-feet in height and have 11 obstacles, said David Nolan, Alpha Warrior chief executive officer.
Obstacles on rigs include the “Salmon Ladder,” where competitors move a metal bar up while hanging from it; the “Devil Steps,” where competitors “climb” steps with their hands; and Rope Climbs.
“The daily and sustained use of Alpha Warrior equipment will sharpen our Airmen’s physical and mental abilities,” Anderson said. “Maintaining that functional fitness is important because it enables them to face physical and mental challenges at home and in a deployed environment.”
The Air Force program includes a 15-region competition starting in September with the top male and female qualifiers from each region guaranteed to move on to compete in an Air Force-wide competition at the Alpha Warrior Challenge course in San Antonio in November. The 10 male and 10 female competitors with the fastest times from across the Air Force will join the 30 regional champions for a total of 50 Air Force athletes earning a spot in the final competition.
“What’s interesting about (Alpha Warrior) is it brings a fun value to working out and fitness,” said Nolan. “In other words, when you’re doing the obstacles and doing the training, it’s not just going to the gym. It’s a fun way of constantly moving around.”
An Air Force Alpha Warrior Tour kicks off April 18-19 at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and runs through October. Brent Steffensen and Kacy Catanzaro from NBC’s “America Ninja Warrior,” and noted coach Bennie Wylie, Jr. from NBC’s “Strong” will be among the celebrity spokespeople.
With this new program, the Air Force and the Alpha Warrior team are looking to bring enthusiasm to the service’s fitness equation.
“The biggest difference in what we do, how we operate, our goals and our motives, is really about human performance,” Wylie said. “We make sure they’re highly motivated and that they enjoy what they’re doing, that they want to come back and that they have such a great experience.”
According to the AFSVA program manager, the goal is to have Airmen not just get excited about the program, but optimize Airmen performance by the physical, mental, spiritual and social benefits that come from training on this equipment.
“When Airmen are at the peak of their physical, mental, social and spiritual training, they are optimal,” Wylie added. “They are combat ready. They are not just lifting weights. They’re not just running two miles.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Maj. Gen. Brad Spacy, Air Force Installation and Support Center commander.
“What Airmen get out of accomplishing Alpha Warrior is confidence,” the general said. “That confidence is gained from using their physical and mental strength to complete the course, and they can take that confidence back to their duty stations or to a deployed environment.”
For more information on Alpha Warrior, visit www.myairforcelife.com.