The Department of the Air Force has launched a new initiative, dubbed the “Culture of Fitness,” which it hopes will motivate airmen and guardians to maintain high standards of physical fitness.
“Having a Culture of Fitness for the Department of the Air Force is more than just physical training. It is about making sure we enable Airmen and Guardians to be wholly resilient, healthy and ready to defend our nation,” Air Force SecretaryTroy Meink said in a service release.
Matthew Lohmeier, undersecretary of the Air Force, has been tasked with leading the initiative for both the Air Force and the Space Force.
“I am honored to champion this effort, but its success depends upon proper attention from our command teams across the department. You have my commitment that I will provide you with the resources and guidance necessary for you to succeed,” Lohmeier said in the release.
The initiative, announced Thursday, has four key principles for success, including proactive health management, greater emphasis on physical conditioning, the increased promotion of health and nutrition and revamped fitness assessments to collect new data and “accurately reflect operational demands,” according to the release.
As part of the initiative, gyms across all Air Force and Space Force facilities — a total of 181— will be open 24/7. Nutrition is also coming into new focus, with the Air Force reworking its meal options to provide healthier food for service members.
The Space Force currently offers a holistic health approach, which includes efforts to boost wellbeing in areas beyond physical fitness, and in 2022 created Guardian Resilience Teams to assist service members with mental health, nutrition and family support.
The “Culture of Fitness” initiative and increased attention by the Air Force on providing healthier meal options follow a 2024 report by the Government Accountability Office that noted substandard meal options for service members across all branches.
“Service members we spoke with during our discussion groups cited challenges in accessing nutritious food,” the report noted, adding that limited hours and distance from workstations made dining facilities with healthy meal options difficult for service members to access.
“According to DOD, poor health and nutrition are growing challenges that threaten the department’s ability to recruit and retain a fit and healthy force,” the report stated, adding that despite Pentagon efforts, “gaps limit the department’s ability to implement, oversee, and assess the effectiveness of its nutrition programs and initiatives.”
Zita Ballinger Fletcher previously served as editor of Military History Quarterly and Vietnam magazines and as the historian of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She holds an M.A. with distinction in military history.
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