Latest version of the Army Combat Fitness Test gives youngest male soldiers 22 minutes to run 2 miles

There's been a push for gender neutral fitness standards ever since women were allowed into combat MOS's.

But if you have gender neutral standards then women will suffer in promotion because of biology.

So there is a conflict between what is fair and what is not?

I say either get rid of fitness test scores and make it Pass/Fail OR create a separate gender neutral Pass/Fail test in addition to the current ACFT with scores based on gender and age.

Alan

A friends son recently applied for Swedish Police school. They had to run 3 km in less than 13 minutes.

There are over 482,000 in U.S. Army. I am going to guess police school will have a few hundred so police school can be more selective.

Gender neutral makes sense. A foreign adversary isn't going to go easier on women.

I was in over 30 years ago, and pretty sure that it was 1 minute timed pushups and sit-ups wasn’t it? I remember hitting over 60 in both and it was FAST paced, but I don’t remember the standard. I’m pretty sure you remember correctly what the 2 mile time was though. (I actually still have my old Army paperwork in a collection in a trunk, I’ll have to pull that all out and see if they’re in there!).

The APFT was the 3 event test since the 1980s: Pushups, Situps, 2mile run.

The current test is a 6 event test.

Yes people still fail the run and they have 22:00 minutes to run it. I almost had to drop a guy from Basic Leader Course because he failed the initial PT test and ran 23:00 or so. He ran 21:53 in the reassessment. He is also overweight and will probably fail the ht/wt reassessment tomorrow.

Alan

The Swedes have to be fit, because they don’t have the guns doing all the work for them.

It was 65 degrees. He probably had an undiagnosed health condition.

Alan

All military personnel should be fit. For sure. In fact, all personnel of anything out to be fit, if only for their own good. However, the military has many, many jobs that don't require that everyone be as fit as an actual combat personnel (infantry, Marines, etc). Notably, most females (and many males for that matter) are not going to be in positions where the enemy "not going easier" will be a significant issue. Some might, sure but, in short, I think the PP's suggestions are good ones.

Y’all, we get it, these days most people are dumb and fat. But we still need a military of sorts, so what are the options other than lowering the standard? I think someone of these guys so whip themselves into shape. Drop the rest? Or have them drop drones instead?

Certainly won't qualify on the 40 mile ruck.

Most people who complain about military fitness standards would not last a single hour in an Army/Marine Infantry mos. As a former Soldier and sub 14:00/29:00 collegiate runner, I can attest that there are service members who have a hard time passing the run but can hack the most physically and emotionally challenging situations that 99% of the public couldn’t hack on even their best day.

I think the normal standards expect something a little higher. They mark you down for bad scores.

Rangers are required to do: Two-mile run: Sub 13:00; Five-mile run: 35:00

in the middle of boot camp.

I think other standards are close to this for higher approvals. Not the worst considering some of the guys are heavy.

They really make a big deal about how fast infantry can get out of range of snipers and tanks. But it only works if the tanks and snipers can't follow them.

IRL they just drive them back and forth for big assaults. When on their own they go pretty slow. The fitness test should have things like digging a trench, and walking around all day.

2 miles in 22 minutes is walking pace so basically you could walk 2 miles in 22 minutes and pass.

You can scoff at someone not being able to run 2 miles in 22 minutes - if that somehow makes you feel good about yourself - but to claim that an 11 minute mile is walking speed is just ridiculous.

Far from it. I am nearly stating a fact. I am actually concerned that the military has such low entry standards. Having only 22 minutes for 2 miles as an acceptable level of fitness in the military is just plain dangerous in my opinion. When civilians and other soldiers lives are on the line in their daily duty soldiers should have well above average fitness to be accepted.

Doesn't make it walking speed...