This article aims to bring awareness to the importance of sleep and recovery for first responders, as well as providing strategies to optimize sleep specific to their occupational demands.
Soldiers in today’s Army should be exposed to realistic and stressful training scenarios. Additionally, they should be educated on the physical, psychological, and cognitive effects of combat and fatigue. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (AROTC) cadets are an ideal training audience since they are already immersed in an academic environment.
TSAC FacilitatorsProgram designProfessional DevelopmentROTCTactical AthleteMilitary TrainingCadet Training
Get to know Army Lieutenant Colonel Nick Barringer, Program Director for the United States Army-Baylor University Master’s in Nutrition. Barringer shares how he originally planned to become a strength and conditioning coach before a nutrition course inspired him to pursue dietetics. However, it was his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) credential that ultimately landed him his role as the first 75th Ranger Regiment (Army Rangers) Dietitian. He recounts drawing inspiration from the Navy SEALS to start the Ranger Athlete Warrior (RAW) program and seeing the Special Operations THOR3 program follow suit — laying the groundwork for the US Army Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system. Barringer and McMahon discuss the synergy between strength and conditioning coaches and dietitians, as well as cultural challenges and diverse training ages in tactical settings. The pair also stress the importance of sales and building relationships before discussing basic nutrition advice and pathways into tactical and dietetics careers.
Connect with Nick on Instagram at: @nickbarringer.phd.rdn or by email: nickbarringer35@gmail.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs
This excerpt explains the importance of optimal nutritional strategies in conjunction with good sleep hygiene and how that can help mitigate damaging effects of deployment and shift work on performance.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise ScienceExercise TechniqueProgram designTesting and EvaluationProfessional DevelopmentArmy Combat Fitness TestMilitary PerformanceCombat SportInfantryStanding Long Jump (SLJ)Isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP)General Military TrainingSport Military Training
This article is the sixth in a continuing series of tactical strength and conditioning (TSAC) research reviews. It is designed to bring awareness to new research findings of relevance to tactical strength and conditioning communities.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise TechniqueProgram designjob task analysisFMSfunctional movement screenLoad carriagetactical strength and conditioningTSACexercise