Background: Since before 9/11, the Army Guard and Air Guard have met every deployment requirement (more than 760,000 individual overseas mobilizations and counting) while meeting the same training and readiness standards as their active duty counterparts. Military operations supporting the War on Terror required more intensive and prolonged use of U.S. military power and necessitated the transition of the National Guard from a strategic to an operational force. This transition resulted in the need for longer and repeated deployments for the National Guard. These continued deployments have posed challenges for National Guard service members maintaining their readiness standards.
Discussion: Although the adverse health consequences of service on the War on Terror have focused public attention on the medical needs of returning veterans, concern has also centered on the military readiness of our fighting force, given the unprecedented pattern of repeat deployments unique to this particular conflict. Of all soldiers deployed to Iraq since 2003, approximately 38% have been deployed more than once and 10% have been deployed 3 times or more.12 The Department of Defense and state National Guard authorities conduct extensive pre- and post deployment screenings to ensure that only “healthy and medically prepared”13 soldiers are deployed to combat. Maintaining current and future readiness standards for the National Guard and Reserves that have limited access to base level support programs requires a unique health and wellness-training program that is aligned with the DOD’s Healthy Base Initiative and Operation Live Well. The solution provides Guardsmen and Reservists training in fitness, nutrition, and resilience in a team setting, delivered by certified coaches with military backgrounds. By combining key elements; stress management, complete mindful nutrition, multi-layered accountability, and physical readiness, participants will significantly improve their ability to meet and sustain military physical fitness requirements while becoming more resilient at home and work. This unique hybrid engagement model uses targeted in-person training methods and a state-of-the-art technology platform to provide key stakeholders real-time access to team training progress on or off the base. The result is long term and continued Guardsman readiness and availability.