188th Wing Guardsman brings physical therapy perspective to Air Force fitness effort

188th Wing:

"EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ark. — For Maj. Isaac Bitter, helping an Airman return to fitness often starts with a question: How can they recover from an injury and get back to doing their job?

As a physical therapist with the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Medical Group, Bitter has seen how musculoskeletal injuries can affect more than a service member’s ability to exercise. They can also raise concerns about fitness assessments and careers.

In 2026, Bitter had an opportunity to bring that perspective to a team working on an Air Force-wide challenge: shaping and supporting the service’s physical fitness program.

From April through September, Bitter worked with the Air Force’s fitness policy team, based at the Pentagon. From his home of record, he collaborated with teammates across the Total Air Force and Space Force, contributing a rehabilitation perspective to discussions that could affect service members throughout the force.

“Most of our efforts were performed as a group, and my role heavily involved being the rehab filter for proposed courses of action,” Bitter said. “Sometimes this meant being devil’s advocate to ideas from a rehab perspective.” For Bitter, the assignment connected his passion for fitness with the work he does every day to help service members overcome injuries.

“As a military physical therapist, most of my day involves helping members with musculoskeletal impairments,” he said. “Often, folks are nervous about how an issue will impact their preparation and execution of a mandatory fitness assessment and ultimately their career.”

His goal, he said, is to help them find solutions and return to the fight as quickly and effectively as possible. Bitter’s path to the assignment began when Lt. Col. Peter Mudge, the 188th Medical Group commander, saw the position announcement and thought he would be a good fit.

“Our Medical Group is dedicated to developing exceptional medical leaders by actively seeking out and presenting them with premier developmental opportunities,” said Lt. Col. Peter Mudge, the 188th Medical Group commander. “We are incredibly proud to have Major Bitter represent the 188th Wing at the highest levels of the Air Force, brining vital rehabilitation expertise to ensure our Airmen remain fit to fight.”

Bitter enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2011 and became a physical therapist in 2017. After working in outpatient orthopedics as a civilian, he commissioned into the Air Force in 2021. He joined the Arkansas Air National Guard in June 2025.

His clinical experience gave him a perspective on the relationship between injury, rehabilitation and fitness as the team considered its work.

“Major Bitter quickly proved to be an indispensable asset to the Air Staff,” said Jason Ham, the Air Force chief exercise physiologist and physical fitness and body composition senior policy analyst. “Modernizing the Air Force physical fitness readiness program has driven unprecedented policy reform and cultural change across the enterprise. As our primary physical fitness medical expert, Bitter advised senior leaders on sound, medically grounded strategies to sustain peak mission readiness.”

During his assignment, Bitter worked alongside exercise physiologists, a data scientist and other specialists. Their team supported the implementation of updated Air Force fitness policy, analyzed assessment data during a diagnostic transition period and worked on improvements to the myFitness platform.

Bitter also participated in a working group with Air Force Research Laboratory and STRONG Lab scientists that evaluated fitness assessment options. In another five-day workshop, he helped review the Air Force fitness manual as part of a team preparing policy products for senior leader consideration and coordination. “It was fascinating to see how various members of the team work,” Bitter said. “I learned there are many factors to consider on the road to making a final decision.”

The team’s work also supported a broader effort to encourage a lasting culture of fitness across the Department of the Air Force. For Bitter, that idea does not have to begin with a complicated program or expensive equipment. “One does not need an expensive gym membership or have brand-new equipment to knock out push-ups, pull-ups or go for a run,” he said. “The important thing is for an individual to put in the work and consistently do the best they can with what they have.”

Sometimes, he said, that may mean a full workout with the best equipment available. Other times, it may be a single set of push-ups.

“If exercise becomes a natural rhythm to every member’s routine, we are on to something,” Bitter said. Building that culture takes both personal and organizational accountability, he said. Members need to take ownership of their fitness, while leaders can help by providing encouragement, time and resources when the mission allows.

Bitter said the 188th Medical Group has supported that approach by making time for fitness during drill and encouraging members to pursue professional growth.

“The medical group leadership is constantly working to provide its members with opportunities that build a military career the member loves,” he said."