McConnell reservist leads new program for unit fitness

Published Feb. 13, 2015
By Capt. Zach Anderson
931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- Master Sgt. Aaron Meadows was feeling the burn.

Rivulets of perspiration trickled down his face as he lay on his back, panting for air while recovering from an intense round of bear-crawls, done while pushing a 45-pound plate across the floor.

"Oh man...that hurts," he gasped, before slowly pulling himself off the ground and getting set for the next round of exercises.

Meadows, a refueling boom operator assigned to the 18th Air Refueling Squadron, is one of several McConnell reservists participating in a new, informal fitness program conducted almost daily at the McConnell Air Force Base Fitness Center. The program is the brainchild of Tech. Sgt. Daniel Mills, a traditional reservist boom operator also assigned to the 18 ARS, who is using his civilian experience as a certified personal trainer and high school football coach to promote fitness and healthy lifestyle choices throughout the unit.

Mills, who formerly served as a member of the active-duty 22nd Medical Group here, had been training active duty Airmen for four years before transitioning to the Air Force Reserve just over a year ago.

"I started out helping to build workouts for individuals in the 22nd Medical Group who were having trouble passing their fitness tests," said Mills. "After I transitioned into the Air Force Reserve and the 18th Air Refueling Squadron, a couple of people from the unit approached me about wanting to start working out and from there it's really caught on within the squadron and the number or participants has really grown."

While it's common for active duty units to conduct daily workouts, Reserve units typically don't due to the fact that the majority of the members are civilians during the work week and are only on base during unit training assembly weekends. Mills wanted to provide a daily program for the full-time Air Reserve Technicians or other reservists who were able to attend as a way to promote both fitness as well as camaraderie.

"It's very unique," said Master Sgt. Jay Guldjord, a refueling boom operator assigned to the 18 ARS who has been participating in the workouts for the past two months. "I've worked with and been around many other units throughout the Air Force Reserve and I've never personally seen a unit that does daily workouts together. You see it on the active duty side of course, but it's rare to see it being done by reservists."

Guldjord said another unique aspect is the workouts are completely optional--no member is forced to be there.

"Most of the times in the military, unit workouts are forced PT sessions where everyone is required to be there and it's not at an option," he said. "In this instance, it's all voluntary. Everyone wants to be there and is going out of their way to build their daily schedule around the workout. I think in that way it's more effective as both a workout as well as building camaraderie because we really want this for the unit and we are enjoying what we are learning and the improvements each of us are making together."

With members of the 18 ARS balancing civilian, military, and flying duties, getting together for a daily workout can be a challenge. Mills said the members of the squadron constantly communicate and flex their schedules in order to get the class in, typically giving up their lunch hour or coming in after the workday to accomplish that day's training session.

As far as the workouts themselves are concerned, Mills applies his knowledge as a personal trainer to create challenging workouts that ensure each member is reaping maximum benefits.

"He's building a workout regimen that is for all levels of fitness, from people who are already running and working out every day to people who might never go to the gym other than for their annual fitness test," said Guldjord. "It's very unique how he has built this program to be adaptable to everyone."

"Every workout we do is different and we never do the same workout twice," said Mills. "Each one incorporates different principles, hits major muscle groups, and has cardio built in. We hit the cardio differently; instead of jumping on a treadmill or elliptical we do high-intensity intervals where we constantly take the heart rate up and back down. With all of this, everything we do can be modified to the individual fitness level of each person participating so they can start at once place and build from there. We ultimately are trying to build a fitness program that guides us toward the total healthy lifestyle we all want."

Guldjord said the focus on overall healthy lifestyle and not just "working out" has had a very positive effect on unit members.

"While we are going through the workout, Tech. Sgt. Mills will be talking to us about diet, checking to see what we are eating and making sure each person is getting proper nutrition," said Guldjord. "He's helping us to encompass all the different aspects of a healthy lifestyle and teach individuals how to eat better in order to have a long-lasting effect with the ultimate goal being a positive healthy lifestyle change."

As more members of the squadron have begun participating in the voluntary workouts, Guldjord said the unit has seen an increase in esprit de corps as well.

"Going through the workouts and pushing each other each day really gives everyone something to bond through," said Guldjord. "Being part of a group like that really helps your overall workout as well because you have that accountability; you can't cheat on a rep or put down a weight because your teammates will see you, and you don't want to be the guy or girl who isn't doing his part. Going through that together and pushing each other is tremendous for team-building within the unit."

Mills' experience as a coach plays a big role in his ability to inspire his fellow squadron member to accomplish their fitness goals.

"It helps me to know how to motivate people," said Mills. "Everyone is motivated differently, and coaching high school football has helped understand how to help someone accomplish what they want to achieve with just a little push in the right direction."

Guldjord said he's seen the effectiveness of Mills' coaching philosophy firsthand.

"He has a unique ability to motivate people to achieve without denigrating them," said Guldjord. "That's a characteristic few people have; good coaches and trainers have it, and Tech. Sgt. Mills has it. It makes him extremely effective and we all come away from these daily workouts feeling like we are benefiting, improving, and learning every single time."

For his part, Mills said the progress he's seen within his squadron and the results being achieved are rewarding, and he's looking forward to continuing to help McConnell Reservists accomplish their goals.

"We just had one of our members achieve their first 'above 90' on their PT test," said Mills. "Those are the kind of results we are looking for. We are looking for people to achieve things they wanted to achieve but never really knew how to go about doing it. A lot of people go to the gym and do the same routine over and over and never get the results they want. It's rewarding to be able to help my squadron out and build a program around what each person wants to accomplish and help them develop an all-around healthy lifestyle."