Brian Fitzgerald: Fat kids who can’t run are discharged from the military. Why aren’t they discharged from the police force?

I revere our nation’s security services. The military protects our nation from external threats overseas, and law enforcement protects us from internal threats. They both work hard and face difficult work conditions.

Being ex-military, I want to embrace our security services, but I’m hesitant to embrace law enforcement. Law enforcement should act as guardians, but they do not. They prefer to be viewed as warriors. In my opinion, the only warriors are in the military. I say this because warriors in the military have standards; physical fitness is a high standard in which the military will never compromise.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office has zero weight or physical fitness standards. Each year, police unions across the country fight tooth-and-nail to keep physical fitness standards out of their contracts. If you can’t jog around the block without losing your breath, you’re no warrior! You’re playing soldier. And I for one won’t put up with it.

Let me explain why the military requires weight and fitness standards: overweight and out-of-shape soldiers die in combat. Period. I’ve had to drag a few soldiers in my day who were battle casualties. I’m not a big guy, so when someone is carrying an extra 50 pounds (whether fat or muscle, it doesn’t matter), and has on 50 pounds of body armor, it’s tough! If a law-enforcement officer gets shot, I want his partner to run into the line of fire and drag his battle buddy to safety. But he’s going to struggle if the deputy is overweight.

Imagine a scenario where a criminal has robbed a store and is leaving when law enforcement arrives. The criminal isn’t carrying a gun but sees the cop and takes off on foot. What if the cop can’t jump in a squad car and chase him down? The officer will have to run the criminal down. I’m quite certain I could chase down any criminal in Clackamas County. Could the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office say the same? No way. How is it that a 45-year-old, ex-military is in better cardiovascular shape then the entire Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office? I’m nothing special; I’m simply a veteran who will maintain standards his entire life, whether in or out of uniform.

Next year the Board of County Commissioners will approve a new union contract for the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. The head of the police union will fight to prevent the physical fitness standards I’m proposing. He knows that the majority of officers can’t pass, so he will put his body on the line to preserve the status quo.

I want to embrace Clackamas County law enforcement. But I will never embrace a branch of our security services that fails to meet standards. Fat kids who can’t run are discharged from the military. Why aren’t they discharged from the police force? An out-of-shape cop hurts esprit de corps and tactical proficiency.

I’ve been running marathons my entire adult life. One thing you see at events is fellow veterans. Many of us wear “Team Red White and Blue” shirts. You can generally find a few dozen ex-military at races. Cops? I’ve never met one at a marathon, not once! For some reason, they hate running. This has to change. No running, no warrior card. Baby steps. Standards first, then cops can stop being the B team. Once they meet military standards, I might consider handing out the warrior card.

Brian Fitzgerald is a Happy Valley resident.