New Army fitness test planned to start in 2020

FORT EUSTIS, Va. — Army senior leaders have approved a new strenuous fitness test designed to better prepare Soldiers for combat tasks and reduce injuries across the service.

The six-event Army Combat Fitness Test is intended to replace the current Army Physical Fitness Test, which has been around since 1980.

Beginning October 2020, Soldiers will be required to take the new gender- and age-neutral test. Field testing set to begin this October will allow the Army to refine the test, with initial plans for up to 40,000 Soldiers from all three components to see it.

“The Army Combat Fitness Test will ignite a generational, cultural change in Army fitness and become a cornerstone of individual Soldier combat readiness,” said Maj. Gen. Malcolm Frost, commander of the Army’s Center of Initial Military Training. “It will reduce attrition, reduce musculoskeletal injuries and actually save, in the loång run, the Army a heck of a lot of money.”

Years of research went into the test’s development.

“Throughout that research and testing, the goal was to provide our leaders with a tough, realistic, field-expedient assessment of the physical component of their Soldiers’ individual readiness,” said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey. “The ACFT is scientifically validated and will help better prepare our Soldiers to deploy, fight, and win on any future battlefield.”

Roughly 2,000 Soldiers have already taken the test and provided feedback as part of the Army Training and Doctrine Command and Forces Command pilots that began last year at several installations.

“The current PT test is only a 40 percent predictor of success for performing in combat and executing warrior tasks and battle drills,” Frost said. “This test is approximately an 80 percent predictor of performing based on our ability to test the physical components of combat fitness.”

While the ACFT keeps the 2-mile run as its final event, it introduces five others to provide a broad measurement of a Soldier’s physical fitness. The events are completed in order and can take anywhere from 45 to 55 minutes for a Soldier to finish.

Strength deadlift: With a proposed weight range of 120 to 420 pounds, the ACFT will require Soldiers to perform a three-repetition maximum deadlift and the weights will be increased. The event replicates picking up ammunition boxes, a wounded battle buddy, supplies or other heavy equipment.

Standing power throw: Soldiers toss a 10-pound ball backward as far as possible to test muscular explosive power that may be needed to lift themselves or a fellow Soldier up over an obstacle or to move rapidly across uneven terrain.

Hand-release pushups: Soldiers start in the prone and do a traditional pushup, but at the down position they release their hands and arms from contact with the ground, then reset to do another pushup. This exercises additional upper-body muscles.

Sprint/drag/carry: As they dash 25 meters five times up and down a lane, Soldiers will perform sprints, drag a sled weighing 90 pounds, and then carry two 40-pound kettlebell weights. This can simulate pulling a buddy out of harm’s way, or carrying ammunition.

Leg tuck: Similar to a pullup, Soldiers lift their legs up and down to touch their knees/thighs to their elbows as many times as they can. This strengthens the core muscles, requiring twice as much force as a situp.

2-mile run: Same as on the current test; scores are expected to be slower due to the other strenuous activity.

Scoring may be similar, with 100 points for each event. Minimum scores, however, may depend on military occupational specialty.

“The more physically challenging your MOS, the more you’ll be required to do at the minimum levels,” said Michael McGurk, director of research and analysis at CIMT.

In accordance with deploy-or-get-out initiatives, no alternate events are planned, McGurk said.