The US Army will be switching to a new physical readiness test, or PT test, that is gender- and age-neutral. The announcement was made earlier this week, with plans to start the new test for the entire Army in 2020. Over the next year, a limited number of battalions will participate in the new test as a field study. Army leadership from the Center for Initial Military Training told the Army Times that the Army will conduct an “upcoming year-long field study to determine how to grade the new six-event Army Combat Fitness Test, and how it will affect personnel policies like promotions and separations.”
Here is the breakdown of the new test, as reported by Army Times:
- Deadlift: 3 reps in 5 minutes of 120 to 420 pounds, based on the soldier
- Standing power throw: 1 practice overhead throw and 2 recorded throws within 3 minutes of a 10-pound medicine ball. The longest distance of the throws counts
- Hand-release pushups: Maximum number of reps in 3 minutes of pushups, with lifting hands off floor at bottom of pushup
- Sprint-drag-carry: 25 meters out and 25 meters back for 5 reps in 4 minutes. Each rep includes a different exercise, including sprinting, dragging a sled, a side shuffle, carrying 40-pound kettle bells, and sprinting
- Leg tuck: Pull knees to elbows for maximum number of reps in 2 minutes while hanging from a pull-up bar
- 2-mile run: Minimum time within 20 minutes
A new Army PT test is on its way. This is not a drill. https://t.co/AE2WtKyWDR pic.twitter.com/0TtuQHezix
— ArmyTimes (@ArmyTimes) July 9, 2018
Soldiers will be able to rest for 2 minutes between each part of the test.
The changes reflect a focus on actual combat readiness. The previous test included exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and a run. The new test puts the emphasis on functional fitness, with exercises like dragging weights or throwing weights overhead.
The new PT test has been in development for 6 years, the Army Times reported. The Occupational Physical Assessment Test for recruits to determine their physical capabilities for Army work began in 2016 and was designed to assess a potential recruits “physical capabilities to engage in physically demanding Army tasks.”
The new PT test continues that work. “The events were meant to simulate movements under fire, loading heavy weaponry and dragging casualties to safety, among others,” reported the Army Times.
Some argued that the run is not a functional fitness event, as soldiers rarely run in combat. The run portion was meant to assess overall fitness and health. A functional alternative would be including a road march with gear, but is not feasible within the time constraints of the PT test.
Work is still needed to determine how to score the test. Current plans include a point system, with categories and guidelines given for each specialty, rather than age or gender like the current system. That means that women and men doing the same job will be held to the same standards. It also means that Army personnel, from the newest recruit to the most senior General will be expected to pass the same PT test.
Failure to meet standards may mean a change in job or specialty. Failure to meet baseline service standards could result in discharge from the Army. The Army is also looking at how to reward peak performance, through promotion and other incentives.
“All those decisions are going to be made after we look at this data through the lens of the field study,” Maj. Gen. Malcolm Frost of the Center for Initial Military Training told Army Times reporters.
The emphasis on combat readiness, along with the test for new recruits, marks a new focus for the Army. America’s soldiers will now be graded on their physical fitness based on capability, with the same expectations held regardless of age or gender. In today’s Army, if you can do the job, you can pass the test. With this new test, the Army is showing that being able to do that job is the most important metric.
