Announcement of the USMC Concept for Functional Fitness

1. PURPOSE. DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR COMBAT
DEVELOPMENT AND INTERGRATION HAS APPROVED A CONCEPT FOR FUNCTIONAL
FITNESS. THE CONCEPT IS DESIGNED TO PROVOKE DEBATE WITHIN THE MARINE
CORPS ON THE MOST EFFECTIVE APPROACH FOR PREPARING MARINES PHYSICALLY
AND MENTALLY FOR THE DEMANDS OF COMBAT, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON
THE MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF MARINES ACROSS 
THE MARINE AIR GROUND TASK FORCE. 
2. BACKGROUND. THE PHYSICAL PREPAREDNESS REQUIRED FOR EFFECTIVENESS
IN COMBAT RIVALS THE REQUIREMENTS OF PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES. THE CURRENT
PRACTICES OF PHYSICAL FITNESS TRAINING DO NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MANY 
OF THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN ATHLETIC PREPARATION THAT U.S. ATHLETES 
ARE BENEFITTING FROM IN MANY SPORT DISCIPLINES. THIS OBSERVATION AND
RECENT EXPERIENCES IN COMBAT OPERATIONS HAVE INDICATED A NEED TO 
REEXAMINE THE WAY MARINES ARE PHYSICALLY PREPARED FOR THE CHALLENGES OF
COMBAT. 
3. DISCUSSION. FITNESS IS A CONGLOMERATION OF PHYSICAL SKILLS THAT
INCLUDES: ENDURANCE; STAMINA; STRENGTH; FLEXIBILITY; POWER; SPEED;
COORDINATION; AGILITY; BALANCE; AND ACCURACY. FUNCTIONAL FITNESS IS AN
APPROACH TO TRAINING IN WHICH THE EXERCISES PERFORMED MIMIC THE COMPOUND 
MOTIONS REQUIRED FOR PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICAL TASKS IN COMBAT. FUNCTIONAL 
FITNESS IS MOST ACCURATELY MEASURED BY ONES CAPACITY TO PERFORM WELL AT 
THE VARIOUS TASKS A MARINE IS FACED WITH ON A DAILY BASIS IN TRAINING OR
IN COMBAT. THE NEWLY DEVELOPED CONCEPT WILL PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR THE 
DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMANDER'S PROGRAM FOR FUNCTIONAL FITNESS. THE INTENT 
OF THE CONCEPT AND THE PROGRAM TO FOLLOW IS TO HELP COMMANDERS AS THEY 
PREPARE THEIR UNITS FOR THE DEMANDS OF COMBAT OPERATIONS. 
4. THE CONCEPT IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD AT THE MCWL CONCEPTS & PLANS 
WEBPAGE (ITEMS OF INTEREST AND DOWNLOADS): 
HTTPS:(SLASH)(SLASH)WWW.MCWL.USMC.MIL(SLASH)CONCEPTS(SLASH)HOME.CFM. 
COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS MAY BE SUBMITTED TO LTCOL LANCE A. 
MCDANIEL VIA E-MAIL TO LANCE.MCDANIEL(AT)USMC.MIL.