The Army last week officially approved the Army Combat Fitness Test as the official replacement for the decades-old Army Physical Fitness Test.
Scores soldiers receive will be for data collection only and will not count until 2022.
Army officials had announced in June that all active National Guard and Reserve units would be cleared to take the ACFT on Oct. 1, a move that ends a six-month suspension of all fitness testing amid the ongoing pandemic.
"As I've said in the past, the ACFT is a great step forward to ensure we're staying fit and healthy for our nation," Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston said in a statement to Military.com. "The vast majority of the Army should now only be taking the Army Combat Fitness Test."
As the ACFT is rolled out, commanders will use a slightly modified version of the new fitness test. According to Military.com, the modified version still consists of six events: the maximum deadlift; standing power throw; hand-release push-ups; spring, drag and carry; leg tuck; and two-mile run. But the Army has added an alternative plank event for soldiers who still struggle to perform the minimum requirement of one leg tuck.
The plank event requires soldiers to hold a plank for two minutes.
The only soldiers still required to take the APFT are those who received a failing score on the three-event test before Army officials paused all fitness testing in late March. Those soldiers are still required to pass an APFT test before they start taking the ACFT.
The Army said that those soldiers who do elect to take the modified ACFT will see “no adverse administrative actions”…”and scores or comments on performance will not be used administratively during the data-collection timeframe.
"We have a long way to go to get our personnel policies set for the new test, but I want the Army to know we're using data received from the force to drive our decision making, Grinston said in his statement. "The bottom line is, soldiers, NCOs and officers are now training for and taking the ACFT."
