Spring 2023 - 40

READY TO SERVE
Georgia Southern's SPAR program
to enhance cognitive performance
By Georgia Southern, media relations department
W
hat began in 2016 as a partnership
between Georgia Southern University
and the Third Infantry Division at Fort Stewart
has become a nationally recognized educational
and research program with $5.68 million in
federal funding to improve soldier health and
performance to ensure force readiness.
Now called the Soldier Performance and
Readiness (SPAR) program, this Georgia
Southern project aligns with the U.S. Army's
Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) initiative and
represents a multifaceted partnership with the
Army to provide onsite training that decreases
musculoskeletal injuries; deliver an online
certificate program in tactical fitness for college
credit; collaborate with the Army's Research
Institute for Environmental Medicine (USARIEM);
and develop programs to enhance and assess
cognitive performance in tactical situations.
The initial partnership program
to prevent musculoskeletal
injuries was delivered at
first to small cohorts to
implement new practices
in the physical
training of their
squads and
platoons in a train-the-trainer model. Results
were so encouraging, the program expanded
at Fort Stewart and to training brigades at Fort
Benning last year with the assistance of $1.5
million in Department of Defense funding.
Studies show significant preparedness and
financial benefits from reducing musculoskeletal
injuries to soldiers during drilling and training
exercises. In April 2020, officials determined that
58,000 soldiers (the equivalent of 13 Brigade
Combat Teams) had injuries that classified them
as non-deployable. In 2019, more than half of
soldiers experienced a new injury, resulting in 10
million limited-duty days. Musculoskeletal injuries
account for nearly 25% of all military injuries
and approximately $557 million in acute patient
care. Most of these injuries were associated with
fitness training-related activities.
Georgia Southern's online Tactical Athlete
Certificate program was first offered in 2020
and is available exclusively to soldiers on active
duty, in the National Guard or reserve. Through
a series of three courses, the program teaches
foundational exercise and biomechanical
concepts, strength and conditioning principles,
and rehabilitation. The coursework parallels
the Army's Master Fitness Trainer curriculum,
with additional rehabilitation principles, and
teaches soldiers how to develop evidence40
| Tactical Training & Conditioning | Spring 2023
Spring 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spring 2023
