Physical Fitness Standards to Support Readiness and Deployability: An Examination of Department of the Air Force Policies and Culture.

To ensure its service members have the requisite physical fitness to serve, the Department of the Air Force (DAF) has established a variety of medical and physical standards. The DAF also recognizes that building a more comprehensive understanding of how different factors influence exercise habits, test preparation, and the perceived importance of fitness is critical to promoting a ready and deployable force. The authors evaluate Air Force (AF) data relevant to the Tier 1 fitness assessment (FA) from all AF-FAs completed by active duty officers and enlisted personnel from fiscal year (FY) 2005 to FY 2018 to examine the fitness of the AF's active component. The Tier 1 FA consists of four components: a 1.5-mile run or 2.0-kilometer walk, designed to measure cardiorespiratory fitness; an abdominal circumference (AC) measurement for body composition; and push-ups and sit-ups, which assess muscular fitness. In this study, the authors explore the relationships between component fitness scores with career and health outcomes and examine airmen's perceptions of current fitness policies and the culture of fitness across the DAF. They conclude by recommending several strategies to improve the rationale for and the validity and acceptance of the AF-FA.

Evaluating an Operator Physical Fitness Test Prototype for Tactical Air Control Party and Air Liaison Officers: A Preliminary Analysis of Test Implementation.

The U.S. Air Force asked the RAND Corporation to assist its development and validation of gender-neutral tests and standards for battlefield airmen (BA) specialties. The Air Force has conducted an extensive validation study of occupational relevance of physical fitness tests and standards. Following the fitness test validation study, one enlisted specialty (Tactical Air Control Party [TACP]) and one officer BA specialty (Air Liaison Officer [ALO]) moved forward with an implementation plan to further evaluate a set of recommended tests and continuation standards. This study describes RAND's assistance to the Air Force on two fronts: (1) conducting a preliminary evaluation of potential issues and concerns that might influence implementation effectiveness and (2) developing a framework for evaluating the implementation of occupationally relevant and specific tests and standards. This work provides the foundation for ongoing review and evaluation of Air Force fitness tests and standards, which are designed to ensure that airmen are capable of performing critical physical tasks associated with their assigned specialties.

Evaluation of the Strength Aptitude Test and Other Fitness Tests to Qualify Air Force Recruits for Physically Demanding Specialties.

The Air Force uses the Strength Aptitude Test (SAT) to determine whether recruits meet the fitness levels needed to perform the duties of various Air Force specialties with physical strength requirements. However, the SAT was developed in the early 1980s and has not been revalidated since then. In the interim, the duties associated with many Air Force Specialty Code classifications may have changed, and new ones have been added. These changes require a reevaluation of the SAT's utility and effectiveness for qualifying recruits into these specialties. This study evaluates the status and validity of the SAT in a series of studies and summarizes the studies RAND has completed independently and one study conducted in conjunction with HumRRO, which provided the additional data necessary to develop some courses of action for the Air Force to follow to ensure airmen can meet job-related physical requirements.

Airman and Family Resilience: Lessons from the Scientific Literature.

This final overarching study in a series documents research and recommendations RAND offered to the Air Force to help strengthen the development of a new office responsible for monitoring and promoting resilience among Air Force Airmen, civilian employees, and Air Force families. Efforts to boost resilience have become an important military response to suicide and other markers of distress and poor health. The study reviews the concepts and measures of resilience, resilience factors, hardiness and flourishing. It describes how resilience and the military's Total Force Fitness concepts are related. The study brings together highlights from the eight companion studies on each Total Force Fitness domain and characterizes types of Air Force data that could be used to track resilience.

Behavioral Fitness and Resilience: A Review of Relevant Constructs, Measures, and Links to Well-Being.

This study is one of a series designed to support Air Force leaders in promoting resilience among its Airmen, civilian employees, and Air Force family members. It examines the relationship between behavioral fitness and resilience, using key constructs found in the scientific literature that relate to sleep, alcohol use, and tobacco use. Supporting or increasing the levels of the key measures of behavioral fitness identified in this study may facilitate resilience and can protect Airmen, civilian employees, and Air Force families from the negative effects of conduct, routines, and habits that are detrimental to fitness. The study also reviews behavioral fitness construct measures and resilience outcomes as well as interventions designed to promote behavioral fitness.

Physical Fitness and Resilience: A Review of Relevant Constructs, Measures, and Links to Well-Being.

This study is one of a series designed to support Air Force leaders in promoting resilience among its Airmen, civilian employees, and Air Force family members. It examines the relationship between physical fitness and resilience, using key constructs found in the scientific literature that address work-related physical fitness and health-related physical fitness. Supporting or increasing the levels of physical fitness identified in this study may facilitate resilience and can protect Airmen, civilian employees, and Air Force families from the negative effects of stress. The study also reviews interventions designed to promote physical fitness applicable at the individual, unit, family, and community levels.

Psychological Fitness and Resilience: A Review of Relevant Constructs, Measures, and Links to Well-Being.

This study is one of a series designed to support Air Force leaders in promoting resilience among its Airmen, civilian employees, and Air Force family members. It examines the relationship between psychological fitness and resilience, using key constructs found in the scientific literature that address self-regulation, positive affect, perceived control, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and optimism. Supporting or increasing the levels of the key measures of psychological fitness identified in this study may facilitate resilience and can protect Airmen, civilian employees, and Air Force families from the negative effects of stress. The study also reviews construct measures, well-being, and resilience outcomes as well as interventions designed to promote the psychological fitness constructs.

Strategic self development for successful aging at work.

Two studies involving 265 participants were conducted to assess the content and range of strategies used by employees to age successfully in the workplace. Study 1 included 64 individuals ranging in age from 23 to 61. These individuals were asked to list up to five activities they have pursued in five potentially important areas of development. Content analyses on these activities were then conducted for purposes of item development. In the second study, the sample was limited to 201 older workers, defined as employees age 40 and older. Participants completed several scales examining the frequency with which they engaged in activities related to successful aging at work. Factor analyses indicated seven major types of strategies: 1) Relationship Development, 2) Security, 3) Continuous Learning, 4) Stress-Relief, 5) Skill Extension, 6) Career Management, and 7) Conscientiousness. Analyses indicated that each strategy domain was positively related to perceived success. Furthermore, hierarchical regression analyses indicated that Security, Relationship Development, Continuous Learning, and Career Management strategies were predictive of success above and beyond important characteristics of the individual or employing organization. The results also indicated that age moderated the relationship between strategy use and perceived success for two strategy domains. Relationship Development and Skill Extension strategies were less strongly related to perceived success as employees aged. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to theory development, application, and future research.

Stress and coping among older workers.

Age-related changes in physical and cognitive abilities can raise adaptive challenges for older working adults. Older workers exhibit considerable capacity to manage and cope with the stress of job and environmental demands, but at some point, many can become overwhelmed, and find themselves at increased risk for health consequences, injury, disability, and diminished productivity. Older workers are, however, a highly heterogeneous population, and many continue to work safely and successfully. Employers are encouraged to join efforts to provide an optimal person-environment-fit for all of their employees, but with a sensitivity to the increased variability to be expected among older employees.