Cold Steel Challenge under way

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. James M. Hodgman
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  With all the commitments people have such as appointments, school, work and being a parent, many may struggle to find motivation to exercise or eat right on a regular basis.

Even military members can find it difficult to work out regularly, eat a balanced diet, and live a healthy lifestyle.

For members of Team Offutt who find themselves in this position, help has arrived.

The Cold Steel Challenge, a health and fitness contest designed to improve the overall physical fitness culture of the Offutt community, kicked off here Jan. 31.

This 12-week challenge, which ends April 25, offers members of Team Offutt an opportunity to compete for prizes individually or as a member of a team, while focusing on improving one's physical fitness.

Marine Col. Joe Craft, Chief of the Strategy and Integration Division for the U.S. Strategic Command Plans and Policy Directorate, came up with the idea behind the Cold Steel Challenge.

"I originally developed the concept for the Cold Steel Challenge as a way to help leaders actively support the physical fitness of their personnel when conditions or circumstances prevent regular organized or team physical training," Colonel Craft said.

The concept seemed ideal at (Offutt) because many people follow varied work schedules and harsh winters limit physical training options, he added.

Colonel Craft's design soon grew into what is now the Cold Steel Challenge. The contest uses metabolic equivalents, the ratio of the rate of energy expended during an activity to the rate of energy expended at rest, to measure workout intensity.

For example, one MET is the rate of energy expenditure while at rest while four METs is four times the energy used by the body at rest. Tracking MET hours reflect energy expenditure levels over time.

The more MET's participants use, the more points they earn for themselves or their teams.

Points earned and calories lost are all tracked through the Cold Steel Challenge website at www.coldsteelchallenge.org. After participants sign up at the site, they can create a profile, join a team, and start logging their workouts. They can also obtain more details about the challenge.

The competition also focuses on healthy eating and rewards participants one point a week for using either www.mypyramid.com or www.livestrong.com to log their meals and track what they eat. One point a week is also awarded for avoiding tobacco.

Those who participate in the Cold Steel Challenge can earn 10 points for a healthy BMI score or for significant weight loss. Participants can also earn 10 points for a total weight loss of 10 pounds or for using the "My Pyramid Tracker" or "My Plate" websites to track their diet.


Master Sgt. Ernest G. Owens, NCO in charge of status of resources and training systems and reports for the 55th Wing Command Post, is the team leader of the 14-member C2 Titans, the command post's team for the Cold Steel Challenge. The sergeant said the contest will keep his team focused and motivated when it comes to PT.

Finding time to exercise as a team can be difficult for command post Airmen, especially for shift workers who work 12-hour days, Sergeant Owens said.

"The Air Force is big on PT, so (the challenge) is an opportunity to get together and do stuff," he said. "We just started doing monthly squadron PT during our training meetings and the (contest) will build upon that and it'll be fun."

Along with promoting a culture of healthy eating and physical fitness habits, Colonel Craft said improving body mass index and increasing physical activity are goals of the contest.

"Frankly, fitness remains a problem, not only with the general population, but within the military as well," he said.

According to a Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors among active-duty personnel, only 37 percent of military members maintain healthy weight criteria, something Colonel Craft said needs to change.

"I think we're doing a great job promoting fitness at Offutt, but the fight continues and requires new and creative approaches," Colonel Craft said. "Anybody committed to fitness understands that it's a daily endeavor for a lifetime. We all have areas that need improvement."

Following his own advice, Colonel Craft said he will participate in the challenge and hopes to improve his fitness test score by at least 10 points by the time the competition is over.

Likewise, Sergeant Owens hopes to see improvement from every member of the C2 Titans.

"My goals for the team, for everyone, is to improve something, either lose weight, run further, stop smoking (or) achieve personal goals," Sergeant Owens said. "Winning would be great, but I'm not looking to get the most points; I'm looking for everyone on the team to improve themselves.

Tech. Sgt. Erika L. Pauly, a native of Plattsmouth, Neb., and the NCOIC of C2 systems for the command post, said she highly encourages everyone to participate in the Cold Steel Challenge.

Doing so will only improve one's overall health, Sergeant Pauly said, and that is only a good thing.

"With regular exercise, I think you're going to be a happier person, live longer, enjoy life, and have a better outlook on life," Sergeant Pauly said. "You'll be healthier, (be able to) perform your mission and go on deployments and really do your part."

Working toward a common goal as a team, Sergeant Pauly said, also has benefits.

"Doing something as a team, like the (challenge) is so encouraging and it helps you stick to something because you're accountable to others," she said. "A challenge like this is absolutely a great way to go."

When Sergeant Pauly isn't working in the command post, she's busy running up to 12 miles a week and hiking on weekends. Her goal for the challenge is to lose weight and see every member of her team improve in some way.

Weight loss is also the goal of Jeffrey C. Ferguson, a strategic assessment analyst with USSTRATCOM.

"I actually began a fairly intense workout regimen and strict diet a month before I knew anything about the Cold Steel Challenge," Mr. Ferguson said. "During that time, I lost around 10 pounds, (and) I plan on losing another 10 pounds during the challenge."

Mr. Ferguson also said that everyone should be trying to improve their fitness level in some way.


Diet and fitness should be a priority for everyone in America, he said.


"Science has proven time and time again that a healthy diet and regular exercise are excellent ways to prevent disease, improve health, reduce stress and most importantly, improve your quality of life," Mr. Ferguson added.


Teams and individual contestants from the service components and the civilian sector will be recognized at an awards ceremony set for June 14.


For more information or to sign up for the challenge, visit www.coldsteelchallenge.org.