Apft chapter help?

Similar thing happened to my nephew. Always had trouble with the run, barely made it out of BCT/AIT. Got chaptered out after 2 years for APFT failure. Turns out he had an undiagnosed genetic heart condition. Never turned up on a routine physical. Kid had a heart attack at 27 and is now on meds for the rest of his life. If your buddy isn't faking it in order to get out, he might want to consider seeing a specialist.

Of course not, he's got a chance. But it's just like SSG London said, he has to step up or he's out.

Look, he's in AIT, fresh out of basic; all he knows about the Army is drills and hard work. He might not need you to be hard on him, his NCO's are already doing that. Be extremely supportive. Let him know you believe in him, and take the pressure off him. Let him know you're his friend whether he passes or not.

I guarantee there's little you can do that his NCO's aren't already doing or have already tried. If anything, keep steering him to work with his NCO'S and to talk them openly and honestly. There's few things more powerful than having an NCO believe in you and then go to bat for you when you're having a hard time.

SSG Dale London

This is pretty cut and dried. If your friend cannot (or will not) pass the run, he will be chaptered. He gets two bites at the cherry with "for the record" APFT's. If he blows them both, he's headed for civvie street. They don't normally use diagnostic APFT's to start the process but if you fail a diagnostic, in the absence of a compelling medical reason, you can expect the unit to have a for-the-record APFT, even if it's only for him, within a few weeks. If he fails that one, the formal process, complete with counselling statements, medical exams and the like, begins.
If he wants to stay in, tell him to suck it up and run 'till he pukes. Then, wipe his face and start running again. This is where the rubber meets the road. He'll either do it or he won't. If he won't then he and the army will be better off with him out of uniform.