New Military Test Builds Lethally Ready War Combat Force

The newly established “Army Fitness Test” has been declared the standard “for all soldiers.” Military personnel now have one comprehensive measure of physical fitness. If we end up going to war against Iran, China or Greenland, we’ll want top notch killing machines ready to do the job.

Five event test

The U.S. Army was proud to announce that the Pentagon is adopting their Army Fitness Test as the performance standard for all soldiers. It replaces the prior measure of combat fitness.

With five separate events, the AFT “is designed to enhance soldier fitness, improve warfighting readiness, and increase the lethality of the force.”

According to the Defense Department press release, “the AFT consists of the three-repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up arm extension, sprint-drag-carry, plank, and two-mile run.”

It’s based on “Army data from nearly 1 million test records” that was analyzed by RAND Corporation.

The AFT will be phased in gradually. Training will start June 1.

The first “soldiers in 21 combat military occupational specialties” won’t be scored with the new test until January 1, 2026, “for the active component.” National Guard will be held to the standard as of June 1, 2026.

Sex-neutral

Unlike the prior Army Combat Fitness Test, male and female soldiers face identical standards. The New AFT is “age-normed” but “sex-neutral” for combat roles.

Any and all soldiers “serving in combat specialties must achieve a minimum of 60 points per event and an overall minimum score of 350.”

For soldiers serving more of a “combat-enabling specialties” like logistics or nursing support role without engaging in any active combat, the AFT general standard test is “performance-normed by sex and age groups.”

It requires “a score of at least 60 points per event and an overall minimum score of 300.”

The DoD notes that “implementation guidance and associated execution orders will be released in May.”

The new physical performance test, they note, “reflects the Army’s continued focus on building a physically ready force capable of meeting operational demands in austere environments.” They’ll still be providing support to “soldiers with medical profiles.“

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