The Army Has a Physical Capability Problem, Part 1: Eight Myths That Undermine Combat Readiness: An Article View of the Work of Matt Clark, 2022

Abstract

Introduction: As part of this Special Issue, the Revista de Educação Física / Journal of Physical Education (REF/JPE) presents scientific aspects of physical training to high performance sports and military operational.

Objective: To present and indicate to the readers of REF/JPE the article by Matt Clark, published in an international journal, which provides an overview of the problems related to physical training faced by the US Army.

Conclusion: This study presents, in its first part, eight myths that feed the paradigm of neglect of physical activity during periods of campaign training and preparation for operations and concluded that leaders, at all levels of the chain of command, leaders can and should seek to maximize tactical and physical readiness simultaneously with technical-tactical preparation. This requires abandoning the trade-off paradigm and seeking an integrative solution to build and maintain combat readiness.