Air Force ‘Rucking Club’ just golfing without cart
By R.J. Williams
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Washington — Air Force mobility aircrew, a flight surgeon, and a Force Support Squadron (FSS) officer at the 318th Airlift Wing have developed a new physical training program called “Air Force Rucking” that is specially tuned to the rigors of the service’s missions.
“Ideally, setting aside two to four hours for this works best. It’s a big time commitment, but the benefits are too numerous to list,” said Dr. Mindy Mojira. “We want participants in Air Force rucking to avoid injury yet push themselves. They can do it wherever they’re stationed, and it’s outdoors, so it mitigates the severe vitamin D deficiency we are suffering as a service, too.”
Earlier this spring, enterprising aircrew members and force support squadron leadership at the 318th took advantage of open space on their installation by advertising through the base newspaper that rucking, or walking with weight strapped over the shoulders, improves fitness and can prepare airmen for expeditionary combat operations. The unit’s flight surgeon, a medical doctor specializing in aerospace medicine, realized after speaking with aircrew members that he could help develop a framework for a safe yet demanding regimen of rucking on Air Force bases.
“We established a course about four miles long, covered it with manicured grass, dotted it with trees, and presented some unique terrain challenges like water, sand, hills, and deeper grass. I think the other services will give us a hard time with the manicured grass, but it’s still good training,” said Capt. Eric Flat of the Force Support Squadron.
“Everyone walks in the same direction, and we have fairly strict etiquette to ensure smooth operations. Every five to 250 yards or so, depending on fitness level and skill, we encourage people to take off their pack, do some type of brief muscular exertion, don their pack again, and press on.”
“We even have our own FSS members operating vehicles against the normal flow of rucking traffic, and they provide hydration, snacks, and help if needed.”
According to one pilot, the great thing about Air Force rucking “is that it builds camaraderie, offers a chance to talk about work issues, and gets people outside,” he said.
“It was only a few of us at first, but now it’s grown,” the pilot added. “It started getting crowded, so we’ve developed some recommendations for those who want to ruck the Air Force way: call ahead and schedule a time to start. Show up with your ruck and your buds in the right clothing, and have at it.”
Air Force officials explained that some rucks have a strap for each shoulder, and some have a single strap.
“You can change the weight of your ruck by putting things inside it, like liquid or ballast, in the form of white balls,” one official told reporters. “Most new ruckers will find that their load actually lightens as they progress through the PT. We have one program where teams start at eighteen different locations simultaneously, which allows us to increase the throughput.”
“Rucking is a universal term in the military, so everyone knows what’s happening on a joint base like this one. We’re here with the Navy and Army, so once we identified that Air Force rucking counts as PT, the numbers really jumped and we had to start scheduling people, so that’s why we tell people to call ahead. It’s been great for the unit,” said Col. Michael Harber, the Wing Commander.
Over 130 military installations have adopted such rucking courses, which double as landing zones for helicopters, open ground for tents during relief operations, and emergency landing sites for small aircraft.
“Really, there is no downside. Because we charge people for their use, they are self-sustaining and the DoD pays nothing except the price of land, which is already inside the fence,” added Captain Flat.
The Army and Marines are also looking at Air Force rucking as an option to keep their injured soldiers and Marines occupied with lighter PT while they recover from injuries that occur during real workouts. The Navy couldn’t be reached for comment.
R.J. Williams is an author of military history with noted expertise in Ancient texts, especially Thucydides and his account of the Polynesian War. His wartime biographies have been praised as a nexus of Dr. Suess, Louis L’amour, and Danielle Steele.