Several Fort Sill soldiers go through 18-week Fit to Lead program

FORT SILL, Okla. (TNN) - Several Fort Sill soldiers are going through an 18-week Fit to Lead program that will prepare them to be at their best in combat.

This is the first time Fort Sill has done anything to this degree.

1-30th Field Artillery Battalion Commander Tyler Phillips said the goal is to get a full class of 120-soldiers.

“The intent of this program is to being fitness to the fore front and allow them to see how they can get better as an individual, and develop those skills as a lead, and then they can take them to the force and help their soldiers within their formations,” Phillips said.

Soldiers are only a few days into the program but these are the most important days.

So far, they have conducted Army Combat Fitness and Sparta Science Test to see what physical aspects they need to work on. Along with a bod pod test to improve sleep patterns and nutrition.

“At the 60 day mark of the program they take another ACFT and that is the metric to see the improvement. From there again we will do the Wellness Center and do some more questionnaires to see how they improved,” Phillips said.

That will be followed with another bod pod and Sparta science test to see improvements.

Battalion Leader Matthew McCleland said physical fitness is vital when out in the field.

“The rounds we typically care for out Palladian and triple seven here is I think 96-pounds. They’re swinging around and having to lift up to your shoulders, so bring in shape and being able to lift is very important here,” McCleland said.

Phillips is going through the program with other soldiers as well.

He said he learned a lot about himself in a short amount of time

“I like to think that I’m well rounded base line for nutrition and fitness before I can into the program, and what the program has taught myself is how I need to improve my fitness to be more explosive,” Phillips said.

Now, he knows what he needs to fix before the next test.

In three months, soldiers will redo those tests once again to get their final results.

That will determine if Fort Sill will continue the program or not.

Copyright 2021 Texoma News Network. All rights reserved.