Airman building Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sydney Campbell
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
Physical training can be a rewarding hobby or job, for one Airman it’s both.

Senior Airman Alberto Mosqueda, 2nd Force Support Squadron guest services representative, uses the skills he learned as a former fitness center trainer to help others pass their fitness exam.

“I have always been big on fitness and improving myself and others,” Mosqueda said. “When I worked at the fitness center, people would ask me about workouts and how to use equipment. However, once I got back from the fitness specialist course, I started training people.”

With his knowledge and passion to work out, he leads others to succeed.

“I am a squadron physical training leader (PTL) for FSS and when I was still working at the gym I would help with the Fitness Improvement Program (FIP),” Mosqueda said. “I’ve trained a lot of people. Out of 27 people, 22 went from failing their PT test to passing it.”

Mosqueda’s experience with helping Airmen isn’t always in a group setting. For Airman 1st Class Cody Collis, 2nd FSS guest service representative, all he needed was one-on-one attention to help him meet the Air Force physical fitness standards.

“Back in August, I had a failed a PT test,” Collis said. “When I started the FIP program, Mosqueda was in charge of it. He was able to help me understand how important PT is, some different ways to work out and to appreciate working out.”

In three months, Mosqueda helped Collis go above and beyond his original goal to just pass.

 “It was grueling at first, since I wasn’t making PT a priority,” Collis said. “But as time went on I was getting excited every day. With Mosqueda’s help, I got a 95 on my PT test. My 1.5-mile run went from 13 minutes to about 11.”

Mosqueda didn’t just change Collis’ work out pattern, but also his self-image.

“Before all this, I wasn’t entirely happy with my physical fitness,” Collis said. “This process has made me appreciate myself and it taught me that I can push myself and to finish what I start. This is the fittest I’ve ever been, now all I have to do is maintain it.”

Training people is part of Mosqueda’s job, but his passions are not confined to the base.

“I am currently working on getting my personal trainers license so I can train people on the outside too,” Mosqueda said. “I want to help people understand how to work out.”

Mosqueda wants Airmen to lead others in physical fitness, but first they must understand what it means to succeed.

“I define success as never losing determination,” Mosqueda said. “At times it’s going to hurt and suck, but that’s how you grow stronger. You heal, and you recover. Then once your body is ready for another go, give it all you got.”