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Feature Stories

NEWS | April 14, 2020

Task Force Spartan Soldier creates fitness program in spite of COVID-19

By Story by Sgt. Andrew Valenza Task Force Spartan

Nothing gets in the way of fitness for people like Sgt. First Class Johnny Han.

Sgt. 1st Class Johnny Han, from the 42nd Infantry “Rainbow” Division, works for Task Force Spartan as an Equal Opportunity Advisor and Master Fitness Trainer.
The public gyms are closed at Camp Arifjan due to COVID-19 restrictions, so Han decided to take matters of fitness into his own hands.

“I created the group to make sure Soldiers can train outside the gym,” said Han. “One, they may not feel comfortable, and two, the gym is actually closed. So, what I want to do is make sure we have that environment where we can train together.”

Every evening at 1800 hours, 6 p.m. for you civilians out there, Soldiers meet to conduct full-body workouts with social distancing between them and this schedule also accommodates those that can’t make it every day of the week.

“I don’t know when I’m going to see them because everyone has different schedules,” said Han. “What I like to do is work out the entire body with a focus on the muscle of the day.”

Han’s goals for this group extend throughout the deployment, with his focus on preparing for the new Army Combat Fitness Test.

“I’ll be doing this through the entirety of the deployment, and I really want to see results.,” said Han. “What I’m trying to do is increase the mileage we run, increase the weights we carry, and at the end of the rotation, we will definitely be able to do a five-mile run with no stops and no fallouts, and to maximize the ACFT as best we can.”

Han is a certified Master Fitness Trainer dedicated to fitness and setting the example for others to follow.

“Personal fitness, to me, means staying in shape and really projecting how [noncommissioned officers] are supposed to look,” said Han. “We should always as leaders, be ahead of the Soldiers, so what I try to do with my age is stay in front of them. And it’s very important to me because it gives me peace of mind at the end of the day.”