By Jean Lee -
NBC News
The US Army is planning to replace its outdated physical fitness test with a more rigorous model designed to better prepare soldiers for the demands of modern warfare.
The new test has been tested for two years and is scheduled to be officially launched in March 2022. It replaces the Army Physical Fitness Test, which is 40 years old and which tested the ability of soldiers to do two minutes of sit-ups, two minutes of push-ups, and a 3-kilometer run.
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The Army's Combat Fitness Test 3.0, lasting two hours, assesses movements that are better suited to the demands of combat on the ground, such as rescuing wounded personnel and loading equipment, according to Lt. Col. Gabriel Ramírez. , Army spokesman.
"There are many rigors that go into being a soldier and being a soldier in combat," Ramírez said.
"The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) is simply better for soldiers in terms of being able to perform their tasks on the battlefield."
United States Army 1st Lt. Mitchel Hess participates in a weightlifting exercise as he prepares to be an instructor in the new Army Combat Fitness Test at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, January 8, 2019 Gerry Broome / AP
It consists of six exercises: medicine ball toss, push-ups, deadlifts, a 1.8-mile (3-kilometer) run, sprint and drag exercises, and push-ups or planks.
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Ramírez said the new test better assesses cardiovascular strength, coordination and endurance, as well as fostering "a different training mindset."
He said more and more intense activities require more rigorous training, which could better prepare soldiers for the job.
"When I started preparing for the ACFT, it was a huge change from training for basic pushups, squats, and running," noted Sgt. 1st Class Nakelia Ramey in a video posted on the Army website.
"I knew the same routine was not going to work with ACFT," he added.
Ramey described incorporating resistance bands and other equipment into his exercises, something that is unnecessary when training to do push-ups or sit-ups.
He also talked about the rebuilding of his knees after an injury and his problems with the deadlift.
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"Physical fitness is not new to soldiers, so the test can be challenging, but we are able to overcome it," said Ramey.
He said the ACFT has been used for years to collect data on its effectiveness, but it has not yet been used as a performance evaluation.
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The latest version, ACFT 3.0, is the latest data-driven modification.
The most prominent change, compared to version 2.0, is the inclusion of the table as a substitute for leg curl to address the higher failure rates among women with leg curl.
Both the plank and the leg curl assess core strength, according to army officers, and will be considered equal in terms of scoring.
However, more than half of women continue to fail the new test, according to data from the Armed Forces Command published on military.com.
Women in the military have raised concerns that they prioritize physical strength over leadership qualities or technical skills necessary in a high-tech age and that it may inadvertently marginalize women in the military and underutilize people, in general. with useful skills beyond physical fitness, The Washington Post reported last year.
"I believe that most people, most individuals, with the proper training can pass the test," Ramírez said.
Another possible change to address the higher failure rate among women would be to use a performance level program that would take gender into account, according to Army officials.
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"It will continue to be discussed," said Ramírez.
"I think the most important thing for us is that we need to obtain data to make informed decisions," he added.
