Army Cuts Athletic Trainers from Fitness Teams, Shifts to Strength Coaches Under H2F Overhaul

To revamp its Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program, the U.S. Army is reducing the number of athletic trainers assigned to brigade-level teams and increasing the number of strength and conditioning teachers. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Mingus announced the change. It is part of the Army's larger plan to improve health and make the Army "fitter and stronger."

As a joke, Mingus told Task & Purpose, "We won't have arrived until we have a no-neck Army." "Everyone in the Army will have traps that go from the base of their heads to the base of their necks."

Athletic trainers, who are expert citizens in preventing and treating injuries, are being phased out of H2F teams because they are challenging to supervise and obtain credentials for. There is no direct Army control over the Defense Health Agency (DHA), which is responsible for these trainers, as they are healthcare workers. Each team will now have 11 strength coaches instead of the seven that were there before.

Strength coaches create fitness plans and help athletes improve, but they lack the medical knowledge to prevent or treat injuries. To compensate, Army medics will receive additional training on how to treat common injuries associated with fitness that occur during training.

Gen. Mingus made it clear that the choice is not a go-back, but a change in direction. He meant that doctors, surgeons, and occupational therapists will now work with the fitness staff to provide care. "It's just a slightly different pairing," he said.

Even with this change, returns from H2F units are looking good: 14% fewer damage to muscles and bones while pass rates on the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) went up by 23% and 27% more troops are now qualified as rifle marksmanship experts. 

The H2F program, which began in 2017, changes the way the Army operates by focusing on mental health, nutrition, sleep, and physical exercise. Its goal is to reduce the number of long-term accidents and healthcare costs while also improving the health and readiness of soldiers for battle.

The Army aims to have 111 H2F teams ready by the end of fiscal year 2027. However, currently, only 20 are embedded in active-duty brigades. Pilot programs are being tested for the Army Reserve and National Guard, and both centralized and virtual delivery ways could be used.

Gen. Mingus thinks that H2F is an investment in both the ability to fight and the quality of life in the long run. The Army estimates that setting up the program can cost up to $3 million per brigade. Still, it saves an equivalent amount of money every year by reducing the cost of injuries and retaining soldiers.

According to Mingus, it is hard to kill someone in good physical condition. "That's the truth."

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