Cold snap doesn't stop fit to fight attitude

  • Published
  • By Airman Zackary A. Henry
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Okinawa's recent unusually cold weather hasn't frozen Kadena's physical fitness testing program.

Although 40 degrees Fahrenheit might not sound all that cold, acclimatization to the longer Okinawan summers can make the colder temperatures feel like a drastic change.

The drop in temperature has even brought Okinawa its first snowfall since 1977 since the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) records sleet as snow.

The climate change, however, did not stop the Risner Fitness Center personnel from administering the physical fitness test for Airmen.

"We need to stay fit year round," said Senior Airman Jelani Burrell, 18th Force Support Squadron fitness assessment cell specialist. "You can't let the temperature be the reason you are not fit."

Burrell went on to say that temperatures can be extremely hot or cold in deployed locations as well and being fit to fight in any climate is a must.

All of the updates for weather have to come from somewhere, since centralized and constant information is a must.

"Here at Kadena, with this cold snap we have been seeing high temperatures of 11-13 degrees Celsius which is low to mid 50s Fahrenheit and a low temperature of 5-6 degrees Celsius or low 40s Fahrenheit," said Master Sgt. Tonya Trythall, 18th OSS weather flight chief. "This time of year we normally average low temps in the low 50s Fahrenheit and highs in the upper 60s Fahrenheit."

That temperature drop however seems to have come to an end.

"We are already warming up," Trythall said. "Our high temperatures should be back in the low 70s Fahrenheit by this weekend."