ARLINGTON, Va. –
Now through October, the Army's Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness (CSF2) program is conducting a campaign to encourage Army spouses to take the Global Assessment Tool (GAT 2.0), including spouses at Fort Eustis.
The GAT 2.0 is a confidential, online, self-assessment tool that provides users with scores for their individual levels of fitness in five dimensions: Family, Social, Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual. The GAT 2.0 is an annual requirement for Soldiers, but a tailored version is available specifically for Army spouses.
"A key part of creating a more ready and resilient Army is ensuring our families have the same tools and resources as our Soldiers," said CSF2 Director, Col. Kenneth Riddle. "Since the launch of GAT 2.0 on January 27, 2014, over 375,000 Soldiers have taken this self-assessment. We want Army spouses to take advantage of this self-awareness tool, and follow-on resources that the GAT 2.0 recommends."
At Fort Eustis, one of the resources available to spouses is Army Community Service Spouse Resilience Training. Classes are offered monthly, and the next class to register for is August 25-28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In addition to providing users with their individual scores in the five dimensions of strength and resources, the GAT 2.0 also provides the user's RealAge®, which is a metric that reveals users' biological age compared to their calendar age. Users also receive their results in the Performance Triad of Sleep, Activity and Nutrition.
Self-Awareness is only part of the benefit of taking the GAT 2.0. Self-development is the second part. After receiving their scores based on the GAT 2.0, users are directed to ArmyFit™, which houses the tools and resources for users to increase their resilience and improve their overall well-being. Each user receives tailored recommendations to help them navigate through the myriad resources available within ArmyFit™.
The strength of the Army comes from its family members. The GAT 2.0 provides spouses with the opportunity to know themselves and stay psychologically strong for themselves and their families. "What makes the GAT 2.0 different from other online surveys is that it's designed specifically for members of the Army family," said Grace Heath, who's been an Army spouse for 17 years. "It gives my spouse and me common ground when we talk about things like strength and resilience."
To keep the recommendations provided by GAT 2.0 relevant, CSF2 plans to keep adding new content and functions to ArmyFit™ over the coming months. These include the ability to synch a personal activity monitor's data with the site to chart a person's daily physical activity, and use that data to compete with other users.
For more information on the GAT 2.0, visit http://csf2.army.mil or take the GAT 2.0 at https://armyfit.army.mil.
Fort Eustis spouses seeking to attend Army Community Service Spouse Resilience Training may contact Roger Bullis, Fort Eustis community readiness consultant, at 757-878-3173 for more information.