“Garmin is gratified to be part of this exciting research effort that will help ensure Space Force Guardians are physically prepared to perform their duties,” Scott Burgett, Garmin’s senior director of health engineering said in the release. “The accurate health metrics and exceptional battery life of our smartwatches will provide a reliable snapshot of a Guardian’s physical readiness, potentially saving the U.S. Military time and money.”
The study has drawn two-thirds of Space Force Guardians as voluntary participants, study leaders told the Dayton Daily News this summer.
Called a “Continuous Fitness Assessment,” the two-year study could “lay a new path for the DOD (Department of Defense),” updating how service members’ fitness is gauged and tested at a time when the U.S. military is pushing against stubborn challenges in recruiting and retention, said Dr. James Christensen, product line lead for the 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson Force Base, where AFRL is headquartered.
There are more than 5,800 participants in the test, including about 150 enrolled at Wright-Patterson. Response was “a little larger than we expected, and very positive,” Christensen said in July.
“By tracking two basic metrics — cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity — we can quickly verify that a Guardian has met their physical requirements and is ready for duty,” Christensen said in Garmin’s new release. “We hope that continuous fitness assessment, implemented via wearable technology, will promote a higher, more consistent level of fitness across the force with expected outcomes like reduced injury and stress, improved resilience and higher overall operational performance.”
Regular Air Force physical fitness tests typically happen once or twice a year. Airmen and Space Force Guardians schedule the test and perform required activities under supervision, usually in less than hour.
There are variations, but the basic test involves a 1.5-mile run, with the option of a shuttle run or timed sprints. Airmen are also expected to perform push-ups and sit-ups, as many as they can manage in a minute’s time.
The results can have implications for careers, study organizers told the Dayton Daily News. At lower ranks, poor test results can delay promotions or end careers.
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