The Army is set to make sweeping changes to its fitness test, according to an internal memo obtained by Military.com. The overhaul includes a rebranding of the test, the elimination of its most criticized event, and the introduction of new performance standards for soldiers in combat roles.
First, the test will no longer be the "Army Combat Fitness Test," and will simply be the "Army Fitness Test, " or AFT. It was unclear why the service moved to take out the word "combat."
Among the most notable adjustments, which will likely be met with glee across the ranks, is the removal of the Standing Power Throw -- an event requiring soldiers to hurl a 10-pound medicine ball backward over their heads. The event, often ridiculed by service members, is seen as an outlier that emphasizes technique over strength or endurance. Success on the event was also largely correlated with a soldier's height, according to a Rand Corp. study.
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All soldiers across the active duty, Army Reserve and National Guard will begin taking the new AFT in June, the memo noted. The remaining events of the assessment will be retained.
The test, first implemented in 2022 after a decade of development and revisions, has generally been regarded as a solid comprehensive measure of baseline fitness, despite initial skepticism within the ranks and growing pains during implementation.
The revised version will also introduce new gender-neutral benchmarks for soldiers in combat-designated roles such as infantry, armor, field artillery, cavalry and Special Forces. Those troops will be required to score at least 60 points in each event, but with a minimum overall score of 350.
The current version of the test allows for a maximum score of 600 points. With the removal of one event, the top score may be reduced to 500.
It was still unclear what will happen to the service's policy that allows soldiers who scored 540 to bypass height and weight measurements, with the idea being that, at that score, the service member is almost guaranteed to have a high level of fitness.
A gender-neutral standard for fitness has been a policy priority of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has frequently disparaged women in the service who serve in combat roles. Hegseth has directed a review of fitness standards across all of the services.
"We need to have the same standard, male or female, in our combat roles," Hegseth declared in a video posted to the social media platform X in March. "Soon, we'll have nothing but the highest and equal standards for men and women in combat."
The memo obtained by Military.com leaves out cannon crew members, soldiers who operate howitzers and are tasked with lifting and loading heavy artillery ammunition. It was unclear whether that was an oversight or typo. It also excludes combat medics from its roster of combat jobs.
It was also unclear Monday whether the Army will stick to its current scoring tables. The service did not respond to a request for comment.
While still relatively modest, this new standard for combat troops is higher than the simple demand of 60 points in each event for the rest of the force. The test has been largely viewed as having a very low benchmark to pass -- for example, requiring men to run only two miles in 22 minutes and perform 10 hand-release push-ups. However, earning high scores demands an almost elite level of athleticism.
Service members in combat roles who are unable to complete the full test due to injury will be required to earn a minimum of 70 points on each event they are cleared to perform. It remains uncertain what the revised scoring chart will look like.
The Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT, was originally conceived as a job-specific assessment with tailored requirements for different military occupations. However, that plan was abandoned when the service determined that mapping physical standards to occupational specialties was too complex.
One soldier may hold an infantry designation but be assigned to a non-combat role like recruiting, while another may work in an administrative role in a front-line unit. Gender-neutral standards, once central to the ACFT, were also scrapped -- much to the chagrin of some senior Army officials.
Related: Hegseth Has Ordered a Combat Standards Review. It's Unclear How It Might Apply to All the Services.
