Congress has tasked the Army with “raising” physical fitness standards for soldiers most likely to see combat, but it's unclear whether different fitness standards will soon apply to men and women.
Measures in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2024, which sets policy and directs funding for the Department of Defense, require the Secretary of the Army to implement “increased minimum physical fitness standards” as part of the Army combat fitness test.
The new rules were introduced as the latest in years of debate and changes to the ACFT. First introduced in 2017.
The House and Senate passed the agreed version of the NDAA, and the bill now goes to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature.
Over the next 18 months, the Army will need to increase ACFT standards for soldiers in certain combat arms military occupational specialties, such as infantry, special forces, and artillery. The service said it plans to use data to figure out what that looks like.
“The Army will immediately begin work to determine how to meet this requirement on an analytically based basis,” Army spokeswoman Heather Hagan said in an email to Task & Purpose. We will continue to work with Congress throughout this process, and the ACFT will continue to be the Army's physical fitness testing record for all soldiers. ”
Changing gender norms
Changing the way the Army measures soldiers' physical fitness has proven to be a long process.
After decades of measuring soldiers with mid-20th century fitness standards, such as long-distance runs and a few rounds of calisthenics, the Army introduced the ACFT in 2017, which measures male and female soldiers alike, regardless of age. Maintained physical fitness standards. The Army adjusted its gender scores in 2019 after an initial review found that 84% of women who took the ACFT exam failed.
The second change occurred in March 2022, when the Army again pointed to the data and decided to cancel the leg tuck event. According to RAND Research Institute It turns out that this exercise is not a good test of core strength.
At a May 2022 Congressional hearing, Army Secretary Kristin Worms said the goal of the ACFT is to increase the overall fitness level of soldiers, and the Army does not want to “disadvantage any subgroup.” , he said. Multiple studies.
But others don't feel the same way. Rep. Mike Walz (R-Florida), a former Green Beret, called for a special mandate in the NDAA. gender neutral standards For the combat soldier specialty, but not included in the final version.
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Walz wanted the bill to reflect that “standards of fitness should be based on the job and the ability to do it, regardless of gender,” according to a source in his office. That's what it means.
Walz said he wants to “ensure that fitness standards are not compromised for reasons unrelated to combat.” Walz also said he was “disappointed” that the bill provides an 18-month deadline for reforms rather than immediate reforms. “This is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently.”
Combat Ready Test
of ACFT 6 Event Test It is intended to measure how prepared soldiers are to perform their missions in combat, and includes a 2-mile run, 250-meter sprint/drag/carry, maximum weight deadlift, and plank. , standing power throws, and hand release push-ups.
ACFT was even put on hold indefinitely. Senate version NDAA officials would have ordered the Army to revert to three events. army physical fitness testwhile continuing the changes to ACFT.
In testimony in May 2022, Warmuth defended ACFT exercises and standards against the now-defunct traditional PFT.
“The new Army Combat Physical Fitness Test is much more difficult than the Army Physical Fitness Test,” Worms testified.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) called the new standards “pathetic” and said the tests “will kill people.” He advocated for a MOS-specific test to “meet the same standards for men and women alike.”
The NDAA measure calls for more stringent standards that apply to military specialties within the combat arms field, including infantry MOSs (11A, 11B, 11C, and 11Z). Combat Engineers (12A, 12B); Artillery (13A, 13F); Special Forces (18A, 18B, 18C, 18D, 18E, 18F, 18Z); and Armor (19A, 19C, 19D, 19K, 19Z).
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