The U.S. Army is making changes to their physical fitness requirements for all soldiers, introducing new gender-neutral standards while eliminating one of its most criticized events.
On Monday, the Army announced the redesigned Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) for soldiers in combat roles, which will officially replace the Army Fitness Test (AFT), seeking to “enhance solider fitness, improve warfighting readiness and increase the lethality of the force,” according to a release on the Army website.
The new test, which will consist of five parts, will be “sex-neutral and age-normed,” the Army said.
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Here’s what to know about the new test, what changes have been made, how it differs from the current test, and when it will be implemented.
What is the Army Fitness Test? See what soldiers will be tested on
There are five parts to the fitness test: Three repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up army extension, spring-drag-carry, plank and a two-mile run.
The AFT will have scoring that is neutral for all genders and is created for soldiers in 21 combat-focused military roles, the Army said.
Aubrey Rodriguez, 35, a tattoo artist from West Palm Beach and former U.S. Army infantry soldier, jumps over a wall obstacle before walking balance beams and crawling through a tube during a physical fitness test for the Port St. Lucie Police Academy 2025. ‘”It was a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be,” he said. “That running takes a lot out of you …You get to the obstacles and then all of a sudden you get fatigued.” More than 20 recruits were at the obstacle course at Southwest South Macedo Boulevard on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Port St. Lucie Police Capt. Kasey Donnell said the course is “an opportunity for them to show us what they’ve got and for us to determine who’s the best of the best.”
What scores do soldiers need to pass the AFT?
Those serving in combat roles must achieve a minimum of 60 points per event and an overall minimum score of 350, with those in combat-enabling specialties scoring 60 points per event, and 300 overall.
AFT start date: When does the Army Fitness Test start?
The new AFT test will be implemented in phases starting on June 1, 2025. The new scoring standards for active soldiers in 21 combat military occupational specialties (MOSs) will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and for the Reserve and National Guard on June 1, 2026.
AFT vs ACFT: What is the difference between the Army Combat Fitness Test and the Army Fitness Test?
The most recent Army Combat Fitness Test was updated in 2022 after it replaced the decades-old Army Physical Fitness Test in 2020.
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The updated test will feature five events instead of six — no longer requiring the Standing Power Throw, which is an event requiring soldiers to hurl a 10-pound medicine ball backward over their heads. It is often called the “yeet,” according to Military.com, and often an event ridiculed by service members who viewed it as an outlier that emphasizes technique over strength or endurance.
Pete Hegseth military orders
In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the military to make fitness standards for combat jobs more uniform across all genders.
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“We need to have the same standard, male or female, in our combat roles,” Hegseth said in a video posted on X in March. “Soon we’ll have nothing but the highest and equal standards for men and women in combat.”
Prior to taking on the Pentagon job, Hegseth, an Army veteran who rose to the rank of major and served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, said in a podcast interview that women “straight up” do not belong in military combat roles. He later reversed his position as he faced an uphill path to Senate confirmation.
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Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: What’s new on Army Combat Fitness Test? AFT vs ACFT; what to know
