By Ashton Becker

A recent report has claimed the U.S. Army’s leaked plan to implement the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) this April. This controversial test was introduced in 2019, but has yet to be used for any purpose besides trials. It will replace the Physical Fitness Test which has been used since 1980. The ACFT is not only considerably harder, it features something that no other military fitness testing does: the same grading standards for both men and women.

The test consists of six successive events: three repetition maximum deadlift, standing power throw, hand release push-ups, sprint-drag-carry, leg tuck or planks and a two-mile run. Each event must be passed individually and the test must be completed within 90 minutes. The deadlift event requires a soldier to deadlift the maximum weight they can using a hex bar. Soliders may lift no less than 140 pounds, which requires some women to lift the equivalent of their body weight or more. The standing power throw is done by throwing a 10 pound medicine ball backwards over your head as far as you can. The third event is two minutes in which you do as many hand-release push-ups as you can. The sprint-drag-carry event is a 25-meter lane back and forth five times. The first lap is a sprint, followed by a backwards drag of a 90 pound sled, a quick lateral movement, a loaded carry with a 40 pound kettlebell in each hand and the fifth lap is again a sprint. The fifth event is the leg tuck in which a soldier completes as many as they can. Soliders are positioned hanging from a bar and must raise their legs so that their thighs touch their elbows. Alternatively, they may hold a plank for as long as they are able. Lastly, is the timed two-mile run.

This test is clearly very difficult and a big change from the three event PFT, push-ups, sit-ups and a two-mile run, in which scoring standards for males and females differ. This is due to biological differences between men and women. It is not a matter of being sexist as some claim, but a scientific fact that men are naturally stronger and faster than women. There is only so much training a woman can do to try and bridge the biological divide. In a study done by military.com, results showed that at least half of the women in the Army could not pass the ACFT, which can result in dismissal. Women have since performed better after the Army allowed for the alternative plank event. Regardless, the potential implementation of the test is concerning. 

The ACFT will allow men to advance themselves easier than women, making opportunities for elite courses such as Ranger school or promotions more attainable. This test will serve as a means to keep men dominant in this field after so much progress has been made to be more inclusive to women. It is likely the U.S. Army’s employment of women will drop as well as their retention rate. The final say is in the hands of Christine Wormuth, the first female to hold the title of Secretary of the Army. Will she take a stand against a test that offers an unfair advantage to men and limits women? Those in uniform wait anxiously to see. 

Photo via Flickr