MIAMI BEACH, Fla. –
The Army Warrior Fitness team visited Miami Jackson Senior High School, Jan. 13, as the U.S. Army gears up to take the stage at the annual Wodapolozza CrossFit Festival.
Through school and gym visits, the WFT is widening its aperture, generating leads for Army recruiting while representing Soldiers everywhere in key national fitness events. This one is just for CrossFit.
With Wodapalozza just days’ away, Soldier athletes engaged over 1,200 students during classes at Miami-Jackson Senior High School. The team has scheduled additional events after Wodapalooza, to maximize its impact and bringing the Army story to students.
The first class included sophomore Sergio Urraca who listened as Warrior Fitness Team athletes Staff Sgt. Neil French and 1st Lt. Sydney Moskovitz answered questions about becoming a Soldier. A JROTC student, Urraca is hungry for information about the Army.
“I want to go to the Army but I’m still confused about how certain things go,” Urraca said. “My (JROTC) sergeant taught me that it’s not just about the Army; it’s about me. You can see from a different perspective how it’s going to benefit you in life.”
“They were very receptive and had more questions about being a woman in the Army in general,” Moskovitz said.
After the open discussion, French and Moskovitz led students in circuit training, which included plenty of push-ups and sit-ups.
Miami Army recruiter Sgt. 1st Class Macias said the school visit was a great tool to engage students and provide them with the ability to learn more about becoming a Soldier.
“This is an opportunity to show that the Army isn’t just about guns and weapons. You can specialize in a career field,” Macias said. “We talk to them about the Army Reserve and active duty, college, and a few programs that could be beneficial to their development.”
Miami-Jackson JRTOC instructor, Sgt. 1st Class Bruce Jones said the visit was helping dispel the misconception that Soldiers have no personal lives, living in barracks only and never leaving post.
“It’s great that they come out and talk with the students because a lot of the students know the military from video games and what they see on television,” Jones said. “By coming here the Soldiers can explain how they have a normal life as well as the benefits they can gain. Sometimes in this community they don’t know what’s outside the community in the military. It’s important because we don’t have a military base here.
“What I would like for them to take away is the importance of the military and giving back to their country, community and family,” Jones said.
The Warrior Fitness Team is part of the U.S. Army Mission Support Battalion at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The unit includes a rolling fleet of vehicles that travel across the country helping connect America with its Army. The team is one of several that engage the public at events across the country in support of Army outreach and Recruiting.