Why fitness? Published Dec. 28, 2010 By Chief Master Sgt. Frank V. Fidani Chief enlisted advisor, Joint Functional Component Command for Space VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- It's a fairly broad question, one that's guaranteed to generate answers, opinions and philosophies as varied as the people asked. Jack LaLanne, a nine-decades-old testament to healthy living, is likely to mention fitness as a crucial link to longevity. Noted author and television personality Dr. Oz, might give a more holistic response, focusing on the connection to mind, body and emotional wellness. Our own Air Force leaders have highlighted optimized health, reduced absenteeism and increased productivity as reasons for being physically fit. Pose the question to Tech. Sgt. Robert Butler, one of Vandenberg's explosive ordnance disposal specialists, and you'll receive a response that's a bit more sobering: survival. For Sergeant Butler, Oct. 5, 2010, was shaping up to be as anonymous as any other day. He was at the tail end of completing his mission in a tough-to-pronounce province of Afghanistan when, at 3:30 p.m. , his day of normalcy was interrupted by the explosive nature of terrorism. Flying debris, shrapnel and the concussive force of a detonated improvised explosive devise mortally wounded his teammate, injured six others, and imprinted the right side of his body with the telltale signs of warfare: severe trauma to his right arm; shattered right clavicle; penetrating trauma to his right shoulder, chest and neck; fragmentation to his right temple; blindness in his right eye; and a collapsed right lung. Within minutes of the blast, Sergeant Butler was prone under a surgeon's care to remove foreign objects, repair damaged tissue and hem open wounds. His blood loss was copious. Post operation, the attending physician mentioned that had Sergeant Butler not been so physically fit, he may not have survived due to blood loss alone. In the days and weeks that followed, medical staffs continued to remark that Sergeant Butler's level of fitness had prepared his body to heal at a faster pace than that of the average person. The takeaway is clear. Sergeant Butler's years of active and consistent involvement in fitness routines - equal parts aerobic and anaerobic - toughened his respiratory system, hardened the bones of his skeletal system, lent elasticity to his ligaments and brought mass and strength to his musculature. In a nutshell, fitness saved his life. It's a powerful reminder that what we do in the gym can be as important as what we do in our organization. With that said, fitness is not the sole basis behind Sergeant Butler's recovery. His wife, son and mother have been beacons of hope throughout the ordeal, providing him with much needed love, laughter, affirmation and encouragement. Just as significant has been the support and prayer he's received from the medical community, his Vandenberg teammates, friends and family. Through it all, however, fitness is the underlying theme behind Sergeant Butler's fight to recover from his Purple Heart injuries. It's the foundation upon which his body will endure the healing process, guard against infection, cope with the pain of physical therapy, and improve his ability to handle the stress of rehabilitation.