According to Air Education and Training Command, AB Joshua M. Rolfe, who died on Oct. 29, 2005, after he collapsed during the second lap of a six-lap physical fitness readiness run at Lackland AFB, Tex., had a rare, pre-existing heart condition known as cardiac arrhythmia secondary to the right ventricular cardiomyopathy/ dysplasia. In this condition, fat and fibrosis replace the muscle of the right ventricle. Medical personnel at the track tried to resuscitate Rolfe before he was transported to Wilford Hall Medical Center, where staff continued life-saving efforts but could not revive Rolfe.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…