Fit to Serve is proudly sponsored by The Transcend Foundation.
Retired United States Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Aaron Love’s life and success has had two major pillars of consistency – service and fitness. The latter came to him when he was young, and part of that was through Muscle & Fitness in the days of print.
“It’s sort of what came first, the chicken or egg thing,” Love said. “I distinctly reading an issue with Jay Cutler in 1998 or ‘99.”
Yes, the four-time Mr. Olympia inspired the young northeast Ohio native with his physique as well as his pursuit of the incredible Ronnie Coleman, but what stood out to Love the most was the lengths that Cutler went to in his pursuit of greatness.
“He was waking up at midnight or 1 AM in Las Vegas to go get in his third workout of the day. I took nothing away from that except admiring the dedication it took to do that. I learned a lot of lessons about what real work looked like and putting things before yourself.”
He applied those lessons both personally and professionally. Love not only made his health and fitness a priority for himself but for his country as well. Love felt compelled to serve after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2024, and he joined the Air Force.
“My grandfather said that every generation owed America, but you don’t know how yet. 9/11 was it for me, and I don’t let someone else do my work.”
Inspired by his grandfather’s words, Love paid that debt to the tune of 22 total years of service – 18 of those as a pararescueman, or PJ. Love was involved in the Global War on Terror performing a variety of tasks, including the Air Force Special Operations Command. He actually failed to get in on his first try but made it in on his second.
“There was a certain level of shame and embarrassment,” he shared. “Five years later, I had to go through that same selection again, nothing changed about the process.”
His service included multiple deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places around the world where stability was needed. Love’s role called for him to be ready to respond to a call to rescue a service member or retrieve a piece of equipment that is at risk of being lost to an enemy.
“For someone to call us, it’s the worst possible scenario,” he stated. Regardless of the situation, place, or dangers involved, they must be able to execute when faced with any and all challenges, and the mission is clear – get the service member or equipment home, even in the face of death.
“We are high-level problem solvers,” he said. “We are also trained trauma medics. Even if an aircraft had to eject and the pilot is stuck on a mountain, it isn’t good enough to be a mountain-climber and parachutist, you must protect and bring them back home.”
You also never know when that call is coming, which means PJ’s have to stay ready. That is why his personal commitment to fitness was so vital.
“The call may not come on that day, but you still have to work super hard on your fitness. One time I was going through a squat session and just finished my last set of 10 with 315 pounds when the pager went off.”
After Love’s military career reached its finish line, Love remained committed to being his best self. He has trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, working his way up to a purple belt. He hopes other veterans will do their best to maintain their fitness to maximize their own quality of life and ability to serve in other ways.
“I know the words to the oath I took cold because I said them so many times. Nowhere in there is a time limit. I am going to serve in a different way.”
One such way is in the world of podcasting. The husband, father, and patriot is a driving force for the Ones Ready podcast, working as a host, producer, social media manager, and Chief Information Officer (CIO).
“We started it about five years ago and are 350 episodes in,” he said proudly. “We focus on everything needed to prepare for going into Air Force Special Operations. People that want to serve as Navy SEALS or Army Rangers may have questions. We have thousands of hours of content that address those things.”
He is also involved with The War Room podcast, which covers all branches of service. He also revealed that he will launch a third podcast that will be his own. His efforts through these podcasts are his way of paying that debt his grandfather told him about forward to the next generation so they can be ready to provide what they owe to America in the future.
“We want to tell people how to avoid the problems we faced and how they can be successful.” You can learn more about Ones Ready by going to www.onesready.com and The War Room by subscribing to their YouTube channel. You can also follow Love on Instagram @aaron_loves_america .
AARON LOVE’S THREE TIPS FOR FUTURE SERVICE MEMBERS
Love wants to see the next generation of American heroes and patriots achieve as much or even more success than he has. That is why he offers three pieces of advice for those that are considering the military in their futures.
Clean Up Your Diet and Drink Water
“You will be shocked at your progress within a month if you just cut out processed foods, drink water (with bodyweight in ounces). You will be nearly unrecognizable just by making those changes.
Increase Time on Feet and Be More Active
“It is a crazy thing that you wouldn’t think is important, but we have good and objective data that shows lower body musculoskeletal injuries is the most damaging thing to new recruits in the military because many of them are not running around playing like my generation did as kids.”
Follow a Consistent Workout Program
“You would be shocked how many people that come into the military have honestly never done some sort of physical training program. A lot of people don’t focus enough on that.”
M&F Senior Military Editor Rob Wilkins contributed to this article
