thedrifter
10-24-06, 02:04 PM
October 30, 2006
Squadron gives PT a professional spin
By Andrew Scutro
Construction Mechanic 3rd class Andrew Emerson was overweight when he got orders to Riverine Squadron 1.
He joined the Navy in October 2003 and went to shore duty at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va., right after “A” school. He was put on a security detachment and started to eat a lot of fast food and the junk out of vending machines.
And he didn’t exercise at all.
“That’s when I got real out of shape,” he said while cleaning an M240 machine gun after a night training mission. “I didn’t PT at all. It was my fault for not doing it.”
Emerson is 5-foot-9 and came into the riverines at about 220 pounds. He was not excelling on his fitness tests.
Now he does PT all the time with the riverines, has gone through Marine infantry school, and he’s dropped down to about 190 pounds.
“I’ve lost a lot of weight. It feels good getting back in physical shape,” he said. “I was passing [fitness tests], but barely. Now I know I could pass them easily.”
The riverines started PT-ing together when the unit formed last spring. Then they got a heavy dose of it in infantry school, along with plenty of hard marching with 80-pound packs.
Now the riverines have developed their own PT regimen for when they’re at Little Creek.
Lt. Cmdr. Mike Egan, squadron executive officer, came from an explosive ordnance disposal background where lots of PT is part of the deal.
He said that he’s changed the way sailors think about PT — not as a punishment but as a source of motivation.
“I’ve tried to teach my guys we’re almost like professional athletes,” he said. “We get paid to work out every morning and train hard every day.”
He said the riverines muster for PT at 6:45 a.m. They run three miles to a SEAL obstacle course and go through it two or three times. Then they strap on flotation gear and do a 150-meter swim in the bay. After that, they run three miles back to the unit area. Everyone is at his workstation by 9:15 a.m.
“I’ve seen a huge shift in physical ability,” he said of his men.
Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Neath Williams agrees. He came from the Fleet Marine Force and keeps himself in top form. He’s seen his shipmates get leaner this summer.
“Guys who showed up and couldn’t do half a push-up can do 100 now,” Williams said.
Emerson said he has gotten a lot out of training, and he’s looking forward to deployment. He thinks he’ll re-enlist in Iraq, collect his Selective Re-enlistment Bonus, get his expeditionary warfare qual and, if he gets his way, get to a Seabee battalion.
For sailors like him who might find themselves with riverine orders, Williams advises, “Try to get in shape before you get here, or you will when you get here.”
Ellie
Squadron gives PT a professional spin
By Andrew Scutro
Construction Mechanic 3rd class Andrew Emerson was overweight when he got orders to Riverine Squadron 1.
He joined the Navy in October 2003 and went to shore duty at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va., right after “A” school. He was put on a security detachment and started to eat a lot of fast food and the junk out of vending machines.
And he didn’t exercise at all.
“That’s when I got real out of shape,” he said while cleaning an M240 machine gun after a night training mission. “I didn’t PT at all. It was my fault for not doing it.”
Emerson is 5-foot-9 and came into the riverines at about 220 pounds. He was not excelling on his fitness tests.
Now he does PT all the time with the riverines, has gone through Marine infantry school, and he’s dropped down to about 190 pounds.
“I’ve lost a lot of weight. It feels good getting back in physical shape,” he said. “I was passing [fitness tests], but barely. Now I know I could pass them easily.”
The riverines started PT-ing together when the unit formed last spring. Then they got a heavy dose of it in infantry school, along with plenty of hard marching with 80-pound packs.
Now the riverines have developed their own PT regimen for when they’re at Little Creek.
Lt. Cmdr. Mike Egan, squadron executive officer, came from an explosive ordnance disposal background where lots of PT is part of the deal.
He said that he’s changed the way sailors think about PT — not as a punishment but as a source of motivation.
“I’ve tried to teach my guys we’re almost like professional athletes,” he said. “We get paid to work out every morning and train hard every day.”
He said the riverines muster for PT at 6:45 a.m. They run three miles to a SEAL obstacle course and go through it two or three times. Then they strap on flotation gear and do a 150-meter swim in the bay. After that, they run three miles back to the unit area. Everyone is at his workstation by 9:15 a.m.
“I’ve seen a huge shift in physical ability,” he said of his men.
Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Neath Williams agrees. He came from the Fleet Marine Force and keeps himself in top form. He’s seen his shipmates get leaner this summer.
“Guys who showed up and couldn’t do half a push-up can do 100 now,” Williams said.
Emerson said he has gotten a lot out of training, and he’s looking forward to deployment. He thinks he’ll re-enlist in Iraq, collect his Selective Re-enlistment Bonus, get his expeditionary warfare qual and, if he gets his way, get to a Seabee battalion.
For sailors like him who might find themselves with riverine orders, Williams advises, “Try to get in shape before you get here, or you will when you get here.”
Ellie