Posted on Dec 12, 2014
What kind of discharge do you get if you fail a APFT?
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Discharge
APFT
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First of all calm down. It is obvious that the words "chaptered" and "discharged" are screaming sirens in the medulla oblongata. I'm not going to extract regulations to you and add more to the apparent fear.
Leadership should first counsel as someone had already pointed. Counseling is not a bad thing if you really paid attention to its purpose. Counseling is a way for leadership to take the time and let the Soldier know what, where, when, how and more important why you need to improve in a particular area.
I know it's easy to just give you all of the bad and negative news to expect (that's all you've been hearing) but it's even easier to refresh the Warrior Ethos in a Soldier: think of "Never quit" and "never accept defeat". Dwell on those two while you work your hind parts off. The real question should be directed by a desire to succeed.
Leadership should first counsel as someone had already pointed. Counseling is not a bad thing if you really paid attention to its purpose. Counseling is a way for leadership to take the time and let the Soldier know what, where, when, how and more important why you need to improve in a particular area.
I know it's easy to just give you all of the bad and negative news to expect (that's all you've been hearing) but it's even easier to refresh the Warrior Ethos in a Soldier: think of "Never quit" and "never accept defeat". Dwell on those two while you work your hind parts off. The real question should be directed by a desire to succeed.
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SGT David Oliver. Your original post definitely hit the mark. Ladies and gentlemen, instead of giving the worse case scenario, as leaders we should be instructing PV2 Ernest Rios on what to do to help his battle buddy overcome this stumbling block. It's one failed APFT, not a DUI with a hit and run. A failed APFT can be overcome with the proper counseling and guidance from the Soldiers leadership.
PV2 Rios, more than likely your battle buddy will be flagged for APFT failure. No way around that. I don't have every AR/FM/TC memorized, but the Soldier will be counseled, flagged and at the commanders discretion be given a another APFT within a certain time frame (usually 30 days). If Soldier is to fail another APFT within a certain time and is still flagged the commander will initiate the separation process.
As leaders we should be quick to address how to correct problems instead of instantly giving worse case scenarios and causing un-needed hysteria. Yes, the question was asked from a worse case point of view.
And as SFC Pakenham stated, there's no reason for failing an APFT without a noted medical condition.
PV2 Rios, more than likely your battle buddy will be flagged for APFT failure. No way around that. I don't have every AR/FM/TC memorized, but the Soldier will be counseled, flagged and at the commanders discretion be given a another APFT within a certain time frame (usually 30 days). If Soldier is to fail another APFT within a certain time and is still flagged the commander will initiate the separation process.
As leaders we should be quick to address how to correct problems instead of instantly giving worse case scenarios and causing un-needed hysteria. Yes, the question was asked from a worse case point of view.
And as SFC Pakenham stated, there's no reason for failing an APFT without a noted medical condition.
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SPC Holly Reynolds
This response was really well stated. I know things have tightened up a bit in the few years since I got out, but I still don't see a single APFT failure as immediate grounds for chapter/discharge unless there are other issues and the leadership just views that as the last straw.
The only thing I disagree with is the "no reason for failure without a noted medical condition". There are actually a few valid reasons. Not excuses, but legitimate reasons.
1.) Occasionally, soldiers get put into details or schools where they only have a few hours to sleep and NO other time to PT. If this extends for a while, they may be out of shape. Not necessarily overweight, but the muscles may need a little work before they are fully fit again. We had an entire platoon worth of people who were on a shorthanded QRF detail for 45 days. The shifts were 18 hours with a bunch of duties that made it very difficult to PT every day. We DID PT, but it was sporadic.
18 hours a day/7 days a week for 45 days. We had to recondition ourselves after that.
2.) Stupid nerves. It only happened to me once, but I would have sworn I was *this close* every time. I don't know why, but I ALWAYS got super nervous before a record APFT. To the point of running back and forth to the latrine between events and it effects everything. Most of the time, I scored well above the standard, but it never made me any less terrified of failing.
On a particularly intense bout of anxiety, I totally blew my test because I felt violently ill.
Either way...I don't see one failure as getting anyone kicked out. Unless, as noted, there are other marks against the soldier and the failure was just the last straw.
The only thing I disagree with is the "no reason for failure without a noted medical condition". There are actually a few valid reasons. Not excuses, but legitimate reasons.
1.) Occasionally, soldiers get put into details or schools where they only have a few hours to sleep and NO other time to PT. If this extends for a while, they may be out of shape. Not necessarily overweight, but the muscles may need a little work before they are fully fit again. We had an entire platoon worth of people who were on a shorthanded QRF detail for 45 days. The shifts were 18 hours with a bunch of duties that made it very difficult to PT every day. We DID PT, but it was sporadic.
18 hours a day/7 days a week for 45 days. We had to recondition ourselves after that.
2.) Stupid nerves. It only happened to me once, but I would have sworn I was *this close* every time. I don't know why, but I ALWAYS got super nervous before a record APFT. To the point of running back and forth to the latrine between events and it effects everything. Most of the time, I scored well above the standard, but it never made me any less terrified of failing.
On a particularly intense bout of anxiety, I totally blew my test because I felt violently ill.
Either way...I don't see one failure as getting anyone kicked out. Unless, as noted, there are other marks against the soldier and the failure was just the last straw.
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This should all be laid out by the soldiers first line supervisor during the counseling session.
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SGT Javier Silva
WO1 (Join to see) - I am down voting your comment because of the failure to address the actual question.
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SGT (Join to see)
The question was technically answered, the info he has asked for should be in the individuals counseling. If it is not then that is a failure in leadership.
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