JBER FAC ensures physical readiness

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Javier Alvarez
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Five days a week, at 8 and 10 a.m., groups of up to 25 Airmen dressed in their heather-gray physical training shirts and ultramarine blue shorts meet in a small room at the south side of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s Hangar Five.

Benjamin Franklin did not have the Air Force PT test in mind when he made his list of life’s inevitabilities. From Airman to general, no rank is exempt from PT requirements. It’s likely that at no other location on the installation will one find a more diverse group of Airmen.

Heart rates increase and sweat beads on furrowed brows well before the physical portion of the test begins.

“A lot of people get nervous because it is an evaluation and there’s a chance that it can impact their career,” said Staff Sgt. John Fallesgon, 673d Force Support Squadron fitness assessment cell non-commissioned officer in charge. “It’s not something new. They did it in basic training, so they know they’ve passed before.”

In an effort to set minds at ease, FAC staff offer tips for PT testers at JBER.

Don’t wait until the month before your test to prepare.

Take a practice test at least two months before your test date, Fallesgon said. “[This is] ideal so you know what you need to improve on.”

You improve by doing the actual component, Fallesgon said. If you want to get better at pushups, then do more pushups.

“It’s muscle memory,” he said. “The more your muscles get used to the motion, the easier it will be.”

Be sure to properly hydrate.

“I’ve seen people pass out multiple times because they weren’t prepared or they didn’t hydrate,” said Senior Airman Walter Voltz, a cyber security technician with the 2nd Communications Squadron and FAC Airman.

On matte-gray scales their height and weight is measured. A dark blue trail leads the way to the first official trial – the abdominal circumference measurement.

Practice healthy eating habits.

“[Testers] will work out a lot to get their waist smaller,” Fallesgon said. “It helps, but at the same time they have to work on their diet to fix that.”

To ensure the accuracy of tests, FAC staff look over Airmen as they take their PT test. This means providing necessary criticism if the exercises aren’t being performed correctly. It’s likely for this reason test takers seem to feel a sort of animosity toward FAC staff.

While FAC staff cannot physically assist testers, they can provide as much verbal encouragement as possible in the hour-long assessment.

“We try to motivate them to do the best they can,” Voltz said. “Who wants to take a PT test every month? You want to take it once a year. We will run with you and push you further and make sure you don’t quit.”

Testers can rest assured, FAC staff are on their side.

“I’m not here to fail people,” Fallesgon said. “I’m here to make sure the Air Force has the right people to support the mission.”