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Health and Readiness Optimization

Graphic of HeRO Logo

HeRO’s mission is to improve the health status of active duty members to positively influence mission readiness and force protection.

HeRO uses a worksite wellness model to provide educational, behavioral, policy, and environmental evidence-based strategies to make healthier food choices, increase physical activity, optimize sleep, and live a tobacco free life - all things that can work towards a healthier more resilient Air Force.

Air Force wide, 65.2% of active duty Airmen and Guardians are overweight/obese or underweight according to Body Mass Index goals, only 30.7% are consuming the recommended serving amounts of fruits and vegetables, and only 45.3% are getting the recommended seven hours or more of sleep per night (2018 HeRO Report). HeRO provides evidence-based strategies and interventions, and provides a framework to help improve these health-related behaviors impacting readiness.

Be on the lookout for these HeRO strategies within your squadron:

  • Informational and educational strategies aimed at increasing knowledge through health education briefs with topics including Behaviors for a Healthy Lifestyle, Overcoming Sleep Difficulties, and Workout Nutrition
  • Health campaigns targeting sleep, tobacco use, and supplement use
  • Behavioral and social strategies to target the thoughts and social factors that affect behavior change through health challenges such as Soar into Health, cooking demonstrations, commissary tours, and taste testing
  • Policy and environmental approaches aimed at making healthy choices easier with updated policies focused on health and improvements made to the environment; such as improving access to healthy foods and increased opportunity for physical activity.

Graphic of HeRO Wellness Model Infographic


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