A brand new Soldier Performance Readiness Center built by BeaverFit opened March 24 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
The SPRC is the first of its kind for the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training.
Around the same time, a shipment of more than 100 BeaverFit container gyms made their way across the country to various training schools and units, purchased by the U.S. Army CIMT.
“One of the Army’s main focus areas is H2F – or Holistic Health and Fitness,” said Bryan Studebaker, senior vice president of government programs at BeaverFit. “To that end, they are heavily investing in equipment and infrastructure that support this objective.”
The cultural shift to H2F aims to improve Soldier and unit readiness by addressing five domains of readiness: physical, mental, spiritual, nutrition and sleep.
To operationalize these domains, BeaverFit was recently awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research contract to supply a variety of equipment and infrastructure in direct support of H2F.
To date, BeaverFit has provided the Army solutions ranging from manufacturing more than 23,000 lanes of Army Combat Fitness Test equipment; supplying 2,000 expeditionary container gyms; converting indoor and outdoor spaces to provide designated areas for physical training, classroom education, rehabilitation and cognitive performance; and now – the CIMT’s first Soldier Performance Readiness Center.
U.S. Army photos by 165th Infantry Brigade
The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
A cultural shift
The SPRC “represents a seismic shift” towards how the Army approaches how troops are trained, evaluated and sustained, said Brig. Gen. Jason E. Kelly, Fort Jackson’s commander. “It is an investment in individual Soldier preparedness.”
The SPRC also helps overcome resource challenges Army units might face when developing an effective program to support the individual Soldier, because it acts as the centerpoint in which all activities are enabled. In simpler words, the SPRC provides the environment for the H2F ecosystem to thrive.
Studebaker, a United States Air Force veteran himself, said BeaverFit is proud to stand behind this mission.
“As a veteran owned and operated company, we see the opportunity to serve the military as a continuation of our duty to country,” he said. “We’re going to continue prioritizing solutions that support the growing needs and requirements of our military.”
U.S. Army photos by Fort Jackson Public Affairs
The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Designing the Soldier Performance Readiness Center
The SPRC project at Fort Jackson converted an unused facility into training space with two 50-foot modular rigs, a robust equipment package with an emphasis on team-based conditioning, rubber flooring for strength and conditioning, performance turf, a rope climb tower, sleds, yokes, weighted stretchers, BeaverFit squad logs and full complement of various low-impact cardio machines.
Sam Hovig, BeaverFit government territory sales manager and United States Marine Corps veteran, said the SPRC introduces new recruits to H2F early in their careers and enables critical skill development they will carry throughout their time in the Army.
“The Army has implemented H2F within FORSCOM at the operational units, and with this new training capability, recruits will have the positive impact of H2F early on and will build upon that as they get to their permanent duty stations,” he said.
“What made this project unique was being very cognizant of the population that will be using it,” he explained. “The typical recruit likely does not have significant time under a barbell or proper coaching on foundational movement mechanics. This heavily influenced each portion of the facility design – from the modular rig to where recruits would be entering and exiting the facility – to ensure this space met the stated throughput needs, allowed for visibility from coaches at all times, and did not sacrifice any required training capabilities.”
Expanded options for H2F
The container gyms for CIMT were purchased to outfit units with an expanded outdoor training solution beyond the available indoor space at their installation. The gym-in-a-boxes, as the Army knows them, may be placed directly beside unit headquarters or barracks, enabling easier access to training, camaraderie and esprit de corps.
Army senior leaders have said the cost that goes along with H2F is “well worth the investment,” said Maj. Gen. John D. Kline, CIMT commander. “I will tell you that if we save a life (or) we save two lives, one would argue this is absolutely worth every penny.”
BeaverFit is the leading supplier of fitness equipment to the U.S. Armed Forces, from the original container gym solution to full-scale human performance and tactical training facilities.
As an official provider of ACFT equipment, BeaverFit has supplied more than 23,000 lanes of equipment and developed innovative ACFT solutions to include the ACFT Storage Locker, the ACFT Storage Trailer and ACFT Shelters.
All equipment is American-made at the BeaverFit headquarters in Reno, Nevada, and designed with superior weatherproofing for outdoor performance.
