‘RUfit?’ jumpstarts resiliency, overall fitness

by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane
USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs

10/1/2014 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany  -- 'RUfit?' officially rolls out Oct. 1 across bases in U.S. Air Forces in Europe to focus Airmen on a culture of balanced, holistic health.

Being mentally, physically, socially and spiritually fit can help Airmen, civilians and their families cope with the strain of daily life and recover when challenges are overwhelming. The program, Comprehensive Airmen Fitness was created to do just that.

"Our Air Force has made a significant investment in programs focused on our people," said Gen. Frank Gorenc, USAFE-AFAFRICA commander. "Airmen need to know what services are available to them and where to go to find those resources."

But, as Airmen, NCOs and officers were asked about the various programs the Air Force offers, the resounding response was, "I had no idea the Air Force offered that many services at my base."

These responses made it clear USAFE-AFAFRICA needed to take the CAF program in a different direction.

'RUfit?' is a call to action and was created to help increase awareness about available resources. The intent is to encourage Airmen to maintain a balanced lifestyle and to build a culture that values holistic fitness.

A major component of 'RUfit?' is a "one stop" web-based tool that lists specific services and contact information for each base and each service offered in the command.

Finding activities, services and programs should not be an overwhelming task, said Gorenc.  Airmen and family members should be able to go to one place to find the information they need to help round out their social, physical, mental and spiritual fitness.

Like Comprehensive Airmen Fitness, the objective of the program is to offer resources that help Airmen achieve balance in their lives.  In turn, balance increases Airman fitness, resiliency and readiness.

According to Gorenc, the goal of RUfit is to build Airmen who are resilient enough to deal with adversity and to bounce back quickly when life throws them something unexpected.

Chaplain (Col.) Dwyane Peoples, USAFE-AFAFRICA deputy command chaplain, explained that with all of the changes happening in the Air Force, now is the perfect time to highlight Comprehensive Airmen Fitness.

"Unpredictability happens when we don't have control of our present or future," said Peoples. "Having a support system and knowing tools are available can help Airmen remain resilient during these times of uncertainty."

"The services offered by the base, which RUfit promotes, help build balance," Peoples said. "It helps us recognize there are other components to our fitness that we need to address and maintain."

We must take care of ourselves and each other to tackle every day challenges, to build and sustain a culture of comprehensively fit Airmen and families said Gorenc.

Over the next month, RUfit will roll out to all wings in USAFE-AFAFRICA and the new RUfit logo will replace the CAF logo within the command.

"In the end," Gorenc said, "RUfit will help ensure our Airmen are better prepared to fly, fight and win."