Since July 2014, Alex Wagner has been serving as the head personal fitness trainer for Logistics Plus employees (see video below). Having a fully-equipped fitness center at the Logistics Plus global headquarters at the historic Union Station in Erie, PA is a nice perk for the company’s 100+ employees that work at this location (one of more than 40 around the world). But having a fitness center is of little value if there is no one on-site with the expertise to coach and inspire employees to work out correctly and safely.
That’s where Alex comes in. Five-days a week, and just about every hour throughout the day, Alex works one-on-one with Logistics Plus employees to develop and execute personalized training plans using a variety exercises modeled after the CrossFit fitness regime. Prior to joining Logistic Plus, Alex was a member of the United States Air Force (USAF). Having completed his full-time tour-of-duty in February 2014, Alex has remained a member of the armed force reserves ever since.
A few weeks ago, Jim Berlin, founder and CEO of Logistics Plus, allowed Alex an excused leave-of-absence to pursue a new level of service to our country: Enrollment in the USAF “Phoenix RAVEN” Special Armed Forces Program, which Alex successfully completed this past week! The intensive two-week, 12-hour-a-day Phoenix RAVEN program qualifies selected Security Forces personnel to perform as members of a force protection team assigned to deploy with DoD aircraft to austere environments. Students are trained to perform as teams to detect, deter, and counter threats to personnel and aircraft at deployed locations by performing close-in aircraft security and advising aircrew on force protection measures. In addition, the program prepares students to perform anti-hijacking duties on select missions.
After program completion, unit program managers sustain a high level of preparedness for the Ravens through intense physical training, realistic use-of-force scenarios and written and practical evaluations. Additional courses in geographic/cultural orientation offered by the Air Force Special Operations Command are provided to increase members’ awareness of cultural areas they frequently transit on missions. Combat survival and additional aircrew-specific training have been recently added to meet theater aircrew requirements.
The first Ravens graduated in February 1997. Since then, more than 2,200 USAF security forces have graduated from the Phoenix Raven program. Graduates from the program also include members of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Federal Air Marshal Service. Upon graduation, Air Force Ravens are issued a lifetime numeric identifier for their accomplishment.
Congratulations Alex! We are very proud of your accomplishment and your ongoing service to our country!