Beat that old colonel in the PT test - Commentary

Airman, Dec, 2003 by Chuck Widener

SAN ANTONIO -- Have you ever had your butt kicked by an old, crusty colonel during one of those "fun" runs? C'mon. Be honest.

Well, I did, and as a former track star (you know I was) and cross country runner, I was mad. Not only was I mad, I was out of shape ... so out of shape that comedian chunkster Ralphie May could take me in a marathon. It seems that eight years of marriage had beaten me up more than any 26-miler could have ... sorry honey.

I was hefty, hefty, hefty, and wimpy, wimpy, wimpy, and my bubble burst as that colonel trashed me on the 3-mile course that day. That's when I vowed to get even, The sad thing is, I never did. He moved before I could get in good enough shape to take him out.

But the race is on again. Not just far me, but for all men and women in the Air Force. Only this time it's not a "fun" run, it's a physical training test. We are at war. Gen. John Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, issued the challenge himself.

He said in his July Sight Picture, "I p)an to lead all Air Force general officers in the Pentogon and the Washington, D.C., area in the PT test." Wow! He just cold told the generals no one's going to beat him. OK, he didn't really put it in that context, but I still would pay to see someone take him in the last quarter mile, wouldn't you?

The race is on folks. The new fitness standards begin next month. The ultimate goal, of course, is to make fitness a daily standard, but we eventually want to do better than that. You know you want to beat your base commander, your chief, your supervisor or just your buddy who brags he or she was a track star in high school (you know I was).

Jumper said he thinks all of us can agree that we were disappointed with the fitness standards we found when we came into the operational Air Force. I know I was.

"Let's not disappoint ourselves any longer," he said. "The message is simple: If you are out of shape, fix it. if you have people in your squadron who need help, help them. January 2004 is the date. Be ready."

Bring it on.