Is there any logical reason why the unit requires soldiers to take a weekly PT test when they are 90 days out from any school?

If you fail a APFT during a school, the Coc/NCO Support Channel catch backlash. Units may possibly lose slots for that school in the future. Schools boot Soldiers for failing (while I was in). I've seen the "1 APFT within a month of leaving for a course" but weekly must be a pain.

On the bright side, It's only an APFT and you're done.

Just read the end. Height/weight weekly probably means someone is borderline.

I can think of two possible reasons (although there certainly may be more). First, the Bde CSM may have been burned in the past with a soldier failing an APFT (or body fat) while attending a school. Thus, the policy could be an overboard attempt by a risk adverse CSM to avoid that ever happening again. Second, the Bde CSM may have simply wanted to establish and implement a policy that doesn't target or publicly identify any specific marginal soldiers. Therefore, everyone gets treated the same.

While this wouldn't be my approach, I wouldn't be bothered by it if I were in that unit. After all, an APFT is nothing more than a structured PT session, and everyone has to do PT on a regular basis. The only real issue would be if it were a record APFT every single week. Most troops tend to push themselves really hard when they know it is for record, so that can be problematic when taking a record APFT every week (the body does need recovery time). However, if it's just an informal APFT to make sure that you're not borderline, I'd let up a little and not kill myself for the extra few points here and there. I was always a 270+ on the APFT. If it were an unofficial APFT, I wouldn't have a problem with being somewhat below that mark. The body fat measurement issue isn't a big deal. Someone should always be in compliance there, and it doesn't involve strenuous activity.

The military is notorious for mass punishment. Though this is not punishment in the usual sense, it still is. The idea that a few did something wrong, got drunk, failed a PT test, showed up late for formation, whatever... then command creates the overbearing need to ensure no one does. SO then they punish the guilty and the innocent equally. If 98% of your soldiers do really good on the PT test why punish them because t 2% don't? If one soldier got a DUI why lock down the entire unit?

In civilian terms it's like a mass shooting, what is the first thing everyone says? Gun control. Why punish the millions of law abiding safe gun owners because of 1 nut job?

The same applies to the military, punish those who are bad at PT, drink too much, have difficulty showing up on time. Make examples out of them if you must but stop punishing everyone. It kills morale, it does nothing to fix the problem, because the bad apples are still bad, but now you have contaminated the entire batch because of outdated ideology that punishing everyone will fix it. It doesn't.

LA and Chicago have the strictest gun control laws, and the highest gun related crime rates. It is a good thing that all those good people who never do anything wrong can't buy guns and protect themselves from the bad. Just as it is a good thing that all those people who train hard and do their PT... will still do their PT, while the others will still slack off.

Punish the individual wrong doer, not the entire group. Guilt by association is not a reason but an excuse of tyrants.

It brings great shame to have NCOs and Officers kicked out of school do to APFT failure.

I don't see anything wrong with this at all. CSM's catch a ton of hell when a soldier goes to school and fails the APFT or height and weight. If I was a CSM I would do the same thing.

Rather than focusing on borderline Soldiers, it is easier to just create local policy or SOP ensuring ALL NCO's take mandatory APFT's prior to attending PME. I think anything less would create "grey areas".

When you have had people returned to the unit after failing to qualify at school, you develope an attitude!

keeps You on your toes.

The only reason I can fathom is that there are a lot of people who are failing the initial PT test or height/weight upon checking in at the school house. I know when we're going to the school house, we have to have our tests/height/weight certified within 30 days of checking into the school otherwise we'd have to do them again. To require you guys to do it weekly tells me that there are people being sent back from the school house for failure to comply with the basic requirements of attendance.

Maybe you should ask your leadership, what the logic is; perhaps they know and if not, they may ask the CSM. I'm sure all assumptions are in line with what you're going to find out straight from the horse's mouth.

I was the Battalion schools NCO. A LTC and SGM actually get gigged when a solider fails out off a school due to APFT. BDE even gets backlash. Most the time we did a weekly schools APFT, run by BDE. This included BLC, ALC and Pre Ranger testing. The time, money and slots that a unit has is watched all the way up. And if somebody wastes those, it's bad.

Every week is pointless. Everywhere I was stationed the CSM usually had it done once a month but not every week. He must have had more than one soldier fail and really had his feelings hurt. Trying to really cover their ass now.

Look at it like this. You will be assured to show up and have no issue with the PT test. Your CSM will be assured that he has no failure to complete the course. It doesn't hurt you, only makes you better. The APFT is a fairly light PT day, and you don't have to mess around with company PT. Win Win situation. I'm in!

Sounds like you unit CSM has trust issues. I worked BDE schools for about a year and we gave a PT Test 30 days out (only for schools that required it). Schools like BLC and Ranger were monitored a little more closely.. but never a weekly PT test. there really isn't a logical reason in doing this besides he's the CSM and he can.

It is a measure of the physical fitness of the unit. Typical, after basic and training schools, military becomes pretty much routine affair and does not typically include keeping physically fit. Objective of all units of military is to be trained physically as well as technically to respond to any and all orders that arise. Stay trim; stay fit and you have no problems.

What’s the issue...?

Other than resting a few days before heading to school, what’s the issue?

Ok before I read any other replied I want to give my answer. It's because you can no longer single out an individual, because you would hurt the poor babies feelings. So everyone must pay for the ones that are falling short so they don't feel hurt. It comes with the politically correct nature that has been natured in our young people today. There is no individual responsibility anymore. While I admit it could help team moral to know the group is there for each other it can also destroy a strong group that feels they are being punished for no reason. Also it does not point out who needs help and allow the group to choose to help the weak.

That's ridiculous waste of time. You have to have a current PT test 30 days before any NCOES school and no requirement for most MOS reclasses

The argument that people are going to schools and failing the APFT is the possible reason shows that perhaps there are a lot of people on RP that have observed this over the years.
From my foxhole, who cares. The NCOs are most likely doing their best to motivate their team to pass the APFT and then when a troop gets to school, they mess up and get sent home. Good. Then we will either have a Soldier on the way out soon or who reforms themselves, gets the GO signed memo to return to school and becomes better in the end.
Mass punishment in this case (and yes, taking away from the Esprit de Corps of morning PT is punishment for the whole organization.....that's why we do it every day right? APFT is a personal thing...) does not solve the problem.

Unit SOP usually, because although PT is an individual responsibility... It's not. Your entire chain of NCO's will catch a lot of flak for the SM's failure to meet the standard.