Army Physical Readiness Training (PRT), TC 3-22.20

"The Windmill, Starting Position, Move..."

After one drill in the Connecticut Army National Guard the single biggest difference between active and reserve units is physical fitness readiness. As an engineer who works with heavy bridge parts, physical fitness was stressed in my last unit. My first sergeant used to say PT was the most important thing we did all day.

Army Physical Readiness Training, Training Circular TC 3-22.20 (20AUG2010) came out last summer. It supersedes FM 21-20 (30SEP1992) which was the PT bible.

When we got back from a year-long deployment from Afghanistan in August 2011, we were told we must change our traditional PT from neck rotations to the preparation drill of PRT. Besides being able to wear our patrol caps in garrison all the time, this was the biggest change we had to overcome.

Sleepy Soldiers, who have for years heard "all rotations will be five to the front and five to the rear...", were initially not receptive to the change--except for Soldiers who went to NCOAs, were from other units or were new to the Army (they learned this in basic).

In two weeks, my last unit was up to speed with basic PRT. Leadership made the commitment of time and manpower, we had two staff sergeants join the company fresh from the trail, and it was an ideal time to introduce this--right after a difficult deployment. We stressed proper form and train-the-trainer instruction, and PRT can be done in IPFU or ACU (yea, it says that).

The number one barrier to doing the right thing will be entrenched NCOs. However, if we always did things the way we have always done them, we would still be doing hurdle stretches (horrible for knee joints) and heading off to the stables, the horse stables, after PT.

Learn how to properly conduct the Preparation Drill in rectangular formation. If leadership or peers are a barrier, realize that, "Commanders and supervisors must establish PRT programs," section 1-3 says, "consistent with the requirements in AR 350-1, with their unit missions, and with this training circular (TC)."