JULY 16, 2021 – The III Corps and Fort Hood command team discussed the Army’s new vision for a healthy body, mind and soul while appearing on the July 15 episode of Fort Hood’s Great Big Podcast.
Holistic Health and Fitness, also called H2F, is a health and wellness program designed with the Soldiers’ fitness, nutrition, mental well-being, spirituality and readiness in mind. It combines physical and non-physical human performance into a single program for the overall health and well-being of a Soldier.
“We’re changing the culture and we have to stay focused,” Lt. Gen. Pat White, III Corps and Fort Hood commanding general, said. “The most important thing in the Army is the Soldier, so let’s take care of that Soldier.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Cliff Burgoyne, III Corps and Fort Hood command sergeant major, said the premise behind H2F goes back to around 2006/2007, when the Army began looking at what kinds of injuries new Soldiers were sustaining. Burgoyne said the researchers discovered a lot of Soldiers were breaking their femoral neck – the top of the femur, where the leg meets the thigh bone.
“That really kind of got us zeroed that there were some bigger problems, because a lot of Soldiers were breaking the ball joint on top of the femur,” Burgoyne explained. “When that breaks, there’s no replacement for it.”
H2F, which has been added to Army Field Manual 7-22, was modeled after workouts for professional athletes, and will be tailored to each individual Soldier’s strengths and weaknesses.
“They have their own nutritionists. They have their own physical therapists. They have their own training regime,” the commander said, “Their body is a temple and it’s that important.”
White said he believes this change means the Army is finally changing its culture, showing it cares about Soldiers’ well-being. The general is happy because he needs Soldiers he can depend on, and the Army is only as strong as its weakest Soldier.
“I don’t want to be on the battlefield with somebody who can’t haul me off on a stretcher if I get injured,” White said.
White stressed the importance of being physically and mentally fit as a Soldier, because Soldiers need to be able to complete various physically and mentally challenging tasks. For example, while a Soldier needs cardio endurance, he or she also needs to be able to sprint.
“You also need to be able to lift heavy objects” the general added. “You need to be able to get a tank crewman out of a tank by lifting with your shoulders, which they gotta be able to do.”
The program combines all the Army’s health campaigns into one. H2F will also work hand-in-hand with the Army Combat Fitness Test, as both roll out in fiscal year 2021.
“For years, we’ve invested in the most technological ranges, getting new rifles, buying new tanks – all the stuff that’s out there that we put the Soldier in. What we haven’t done is invested in the Soldier,” White added. “If it’s important that we have all the right repair parts on it and it works, maybe we ought to do the same thing for the human being.”
To read all about H2F, visit https://www.army.mil/e2/downloads/rv7/acft/h2f_operating_concept.pdf.
By Brandy Cruz, Fort Hood Public Affairs