The United States Army has decided to change their fitness test.
The ACFT (Army Combat Fitness Test) is the standard or fitness in the US Army, you must pass this test in order to continue to become a United States Army Solider.
The ACFT is scored based of Gender and Age, a Solider has to get a minimum of 60 points in each event 300 points total. With a max score of 600 points.
The ACFT consists of 6 different exercises:
Deadlift: The deadlift uses a 60 pound hex bar, each Solider has 2 attempts to lift their max weight 3 consecutive times without slamming the bar into the ground.
Ball Throw: Ball Throw consists of a 10 pound medicine ball thrown over your head. The goal is to throw the ball as far as possible in 2 attempts.
Push-ups: Not your regular Push-Ups, the ACFT uses the T-Pushup. a push up but each rep you must fully extend your arms and then bring them back to push up.
Sprint Drag Carry: The Sprint Drag Carry, many consider the hardest most physically demanding event in the ACFT. This event simulates dragging a injured Battle Buddy, moving heavy supplies and running. First you start lying flat on your stomach, upon go you sprint 25 meters and back, then drag 90 pounds down and back. After dragging you shuffle down and back. Next step is to carry 2 40 pound dumbbells back and forth. Finally you finish the event with one more sprint down and back.
Plank: The Plank requires Soldiers to not interlock or touch their hands together.
2 Mile run: After all is said and done you are hit with a 2 Mile run to end it all. This is usually done around a mile long track/road.
AFT replaces ACFT
The AFT (Army Fitness Test) will replace the ACFT starting June 1st 2025.
The AFT sees the exclusion of the Ball Throw.
We also see changes to scoring, the maximum score is now 500. With minimum being 350 for combat MOS and 300 for others.
The AFT for combat MOS is now gender and age neutral meaning that all Soldiers are required of age and gender to get the same score minimums. They have set a standard for these MOS and everyone has to meet it.
The other MOS jobs still base scoring off of age and gender like the ACFT the only change for non combat MOS is the exclusion of the Ball Throw.
Women
We will now see less Women in these combat MOS.
This is due to the scoring being the same no matter what gender, it will be much harder for Females to compete with the Men in these MOS jobs.
We will likely see less Women in combat jobs and more in non combat jobs.
Age
We will also see more younger people in these MOS jobs, yes people can still get age waivers for Combat MOS but they have to make sure they can compete in this new AFT test, like females we may see older Army Soldiers fall into more non Combat MOS jobs.
What do you think?
What do you think about the ACFT changing to the AFT?
Let us know what you think!
