Air Force 2nd Lt. Brody Adams, 374th Operations Support Squadron weather environmental officer, performs the deadlift portion of the Warrior Fitness Test during the April Samurai Cup Challenge at Yokota Air Base, Japan, April 22, 2025. The Air Force has launched a program called the Culture of Fitness initiative that, among other things, will implement 24-hour access to all fitness facilities and provide healthier dining options to service members. (Macaiah Honable/U.S. Air Force)
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force and Space Force are working to implement 24-hour access to all fitness facilities and provide healthier dining options to service members, the Air Force announced Thursday.
The service launched a program called the Culture of Fitness initiative to “reinvigorate a holistic culture of well-being” after conducting a review of Air Force programs. The Air Force has been making changes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in March ordered a review and enhancement of physical fitness standards.
“Having a Culture of Fitness for the Department of the Air Force is more than just physical training,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in a statement. “It is about making sure we enable airmen and guardians to be wholly resilient, healthy and ready to defend our nation.”
The memo signed by Meink on Wednesday appeared on Facebook. The secretary wrote that the department found the traditional approach “has fallen short of fostering” the well-being of service members.
Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Lohmeier will lead the department through this reform by overseeing the Air Force and Space Force efforts. He will provide regular updates to Meink every 30 days, according to the memo.
“This initiative will ensure our Air Force and Space Force remain capable and lethal,” Lohmeier said. “I am honored to champion this effort, but its success depends upon proper attention from our command teams across the department. You have my commitment that I will provide you with the resources and guidance necessary for you to succeed.”
Lohmeier, the service’s No. 2 civilian leader, is a former Space Force officer who was relieved of command in 2021 over remarks stemming from a book he wrote on Marxist thinking within the U.S. military.
