Posted on Jan 26, 2015
McHugh: Job-based fitness test report coming this year
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From: Army Times
Plans for job-specific fitness tests could reach Army Secretary John McHugh's desk this summer, and McHugh told Army Times on Wednesday what the service is doing to create and study those requirements — and what might happen to soldiers who can't meet them.
About 700 soldiers at multiple installations over two-plus years have been part of a project "to establish MOS-specific physical requirements," McHugh said during an interview with Army Times reporters and editors at the Pentagon. He offered few details or deadlines for the study, saying that a report on the fitness test would reach his office and that of Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno in late summer or early fall.
However, informal reports to McHugh from Training and Doctrine Command officials have indicated "that when we finally establish these new physical standards, we will find that there are any number of males who have been ... in a particular [military occupational specialty] who will not be able to meet the new requirements," McHugh said.
The gender divide has been a point of contention, with critics saying changes to the fitness test could be a way to lower requirements in MOSs being opened to women. McHugh said the move had "absolutely nothing to do with that."
There are no concrete plans for what would happen to soldiers found unfit to continue in their fields, but McHugh said rather than requiring immediate reclassification, the Army could design an MOS-specific physical training program to shape up underperformers.
Odierno addressed job-based fitness tests during a Jan. 6 virtual town hall meeting, saying he expects a "functional test by MOS" to exist alongside an Army-wide fitness test.
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2015/01/26/army-secretary-mchugh-job-based-fitness-test-report-coming-this-year/22164215/
Plans for job-specific fitness tests could reach Army Secretary John McHugh's desk this summer, and McHugh told Army Times on Wednesday what the service is doing to create and study those requirements — and what might happen to soldiers who can't meet them.
About 700 soldiers at multiple installations over two-plus years have been part of a project "to establish MOS-specific physical requirements," McHugh said during an interview with Army Times reporters and editors at the Pentagon. He offered few details or deadlines for the study, saying that a report on the fitness test would reach his office and that of Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno in late summer or early fall.
However, informal reports to McHugh from Training and Doctrine Command officials have indicated "that when we finally establish these new physical standards, we will find that there are any number of males who have been ... in a particular [military occupational specialty] who will not be able to meet the new requirements," McHugh said.
The gender divide has been a point of contention, with critics saying changes to the fitness test could be a way to lower requirements in MOSs being opened to women. McHugh said the move had "absolutely nothing to do with that."
There are no concrete plans for what would happen to soldiers found unfit to continue in their fields, but McHugh said rather than requiring immediate reclassification, the Army could design an MOS-specific physical training program to shape up underperformers.
Odierno addressed job-based fitness tests during a Jan. 6 virtual town hall meeting, saying he expects a "functional test by MOS" to exist alongside an Army-wide fitness test.
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2015/01/26/army-secretary-mchugh-job-based-fitness-test-report-coming-this-year/22164215/
MOS
APFT
Army
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 24
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What we should actually be tested on, (tongue-in-cheek)
List of new physical/mental ability tests based on rank:
Officer - O-1/2: Be in the top 5% of physical fitness in his/her PLT. Able to endure multiple ass-chewings without losing military bearing.
Officer O-3 and above: Ability to hold bladder for 3 hours+ after drinking 2 cups of coffee. Able give extemporaneous safety briefings on any topic. Competently conduct serous incident report battle drill in 30min or less.
Officer - O-4 and above: Can read and retain information at 300+ words per minute. Does not have signs of carpal tunnel syndrome. Able to send 500+ emails a day. Has a green book on them at all times to take down O-5 and above's good ideas. Has failing eyesight.
Officer - O-5 and above: Must have at least 5 "good ideas" per hour. Must be able to read senior rater's mind. Avoids wearing glasses at all costs.
O-6 and above: Can run in formation at 12 min miles. Enjoys sound of own voice. Drinks more coffee than entire chain of command.
NCO - E-9: Ability to condense at 20 page operations order into 50 words or less. Ability to sense malingering Soldiers from 500m away.
NCO - E-8 and above: Ability to see Soldier with hands in pockets from 250m combined with ability to yell loud enough for said Soldier stop their conversation and go to the position of attention.
NCO - E-7 and above: Ability to smell BS from 1000m away. Can do 1000+ overhead arm claps. Enjoys running on knees without cartilage.
NCO - E-6 and above: Ability to smell BS from 200m away. Enjoys making Soldiers cry, but can still be their friend and mentor. Know's how to make promotion points appear out of thin air.
NCO - E-5 and above: Knows every SGT/SPC in the unit and where they are at all times. Can make missing CIF items appear out of thin air. Enjoys listening to lower enlisted whining because it allows him to build a mental profile of each person. Can ruck, run, or do whatever longer than you can.
List of new physical/mental ability tests based on rank:
Officer - O-1/2: Be in the top 5% of physical fitness in his/her PLT. Able to endure multiple ass-chewings without losing military bearing.
Officer O-3 and above: Ability to hold bladder for 3 hours+ after drinking 2 cups of coffee. Able give extemporaneous safety briefings on any topic. Competently conduct serous incident report battle drill in 30min or less.
Officer - O-4 and above: Can read and retain information at 300+ words per minute. Does not have signs of carpal tunnel syndrome. Able to send 500+ emails a day. Has a green book on them at all times to take down O-5 and above's good ideas. Has failing eyesight.
Officer - O-5 and above: Must have at least 5 "good ideas" per hour. Must be able to read senior rater's mind. Avoids wearing glasses at all costs.
O-6 and above: Can run in formation at 12 min miles. Enjoys sound of own voice. Drinks more coffee than entire chain of command.
NCO - E-9: Ability to condense at 20 page operations order into 50 words or less. Ability to sense malingering Soldiers from 500m away.
NCO - E-8 and above: Ability to see Soldier with hands in pockets from 250m combined with ability to yell loud enough for said Soldier stop their conversation and go to the position of attention.
NCO - E-7 and above: Ability to smell BS from 1000m away. Can do 1000+ overhead arm claps. Enjoys running on knees without cartilage.
NCO - E-6 and above: Ability to smell BS from 200m away. Enjoys making Soldiers cry, but can still be their friend and mentor. Know's how to make promotion points appear out of thin air.
NCO - E-5 and above: Knows every SGT/SPC in the unit and where they are at all times. Can make missing CIF items appear out of thin air. Enjoys listening to lower enlisted whining because it allows him to build a mental profile of each person. Can ruck, run, or do whatever longer than you can.
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CPT Zachary Brooks
Shit, this means I have start drinking coffee.
I have the rest of them down though Sir.
I have the rest of them down though Sir.
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1LT (Join to see)
Hahaha...welcome to the new army CPT Zachary B. But I'm very confident you're up to the task Sir ;)
MAJ Brian J., we're working on keeping that bearing locked-and-screwed down tight. Thanks for a great laugh Sir!
MAJ Brian J., we're working on keeping that bearing locked-and-screwed down tight. Thanks for a great laugh Sir!
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TSgt Steven Summerlin
This is outstanding! We need more thinkers like you! Coffee rations to increase with rank! I like it!
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I think it's a bad idea. But maybe that's the Jarhead in me. There have been recorded battles that have been swayed by the ability of cooks and clerks to pick up weapons and perform combat duties. Every Marine a Rifleman is not just a saying. The PT should be the same, the standards should be the same, the shooting requirements should be the same.
So you can pass a modified PT test in the comfort of the US of A. So what? What happens when you have to deploy? Then the defecation hits the oscillating unit and you find yourself with no secure base? Or your convoy gets attacked? Or your transport goes down in enemy territory and you have to evade and escape? Maybe you can slow everyone else down that passed the harder PT test and get more people killed or captured. Seems legit.
So you can pass a modified PT test in the comfort of the US of A. So what? What happens when you have to deploy? Then the defecation hits the oscillating unit and you find yourself with no secure base? Or your convoy gets attacked? Or your transport goes down in enemy territory and you have to evade and escape? Maybe you can slow everyone else down that passed the harder PT test and get more people killed or captured. Seems legit.
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MAJ(P) (Join to see)
I completely concur. Seriously.
However, those recorded battles that were swayed by the inability of support functions like cooks and clerks being able to fight as effectively as infantry men -.were truly swayed by much more than failed cooks under pressure (see what I did there?). Meaning, potentially poor Intel, lack of Intel, failed situational awareness, poor planning, poor security, ect might have played a much bigger role. There were too many variables to consider.
I believe we (Army) need to enhance our PT test based on supported science. Why is the Army still doing sit ups? Why only three events? In my non SME opinion, those three events might not be the best way to determine someone's over all physical fitness. Yes, the manual states the APFT measures muscular strength and endurance. But, it certainly is not a true physical fitness test.
One standard? Sure, why not. But why scream "one standard across the board" when it fact each MOS/branch is treated notably differently. Operational branches (rightfully so) often receive the commands and accolades that support branches will never see.
So, are we truly equal across the spectrum? Not quite. And I understand and support that. But, there is no need to get up and arms when certain leaders suggest tailoring any test specific to each MOS.
If support functions are training to be as combat effective as operational branches, it stands to reason that they become less effective in the jobs they were hired to do.
However, those recorded battles that were swayed by the inability of support functions like cooks and clerks being able to fight as effectively as infantry men -.were truly swayed by much more than failed cooks under pressure (see what I did there?). Meaning, potentially poor Intel, lack of Intel, failed situational awareness, poor planning, poor security, ect might have played a much bigger role. There were too many variables to consider.
I believe we (Army) need to enhance our PT test based on supported science. Why is the Army still doing sit ups? Why only three events? In my non SME opinion, those three events might not be the best way to determine someone's over all physical fitness. Yes, the manual states the APFT measures muscular strength and endurance. But, it certainly is not a true physical fitness test.
One standard? Sure, why not. But why scream "one standard across the board" when it fact each MOS/branch is treated notably differently. Operational branches (rightfully so) often receive the commands and accolades that support branches will never see.
So, are we truly equal across the spectrum? Not quite. And I understand and support that. But, there is no need to get up and arms when certain leaders suggest tailoring any test specific to each MOS.
If support functions are training to be as combat effective as operational branches, it stands to reason that they become less effective in the jobs they were hired to do.
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Capt (Join to see)
You misunderstood me. I meant that lives were saved and posts were held because Marine cooks and clerks were completely up to the task of repelling the enemy advance. They were successful because they were trained and expected to me Marines first, cooks/clerks second.
You do no one any favors by making life easier on them and then placing them in harms way hoping the worst doesn't happen.
You do no one any favors by making life easier on them and then placing them in harms way hoping the worst doesn't happen.
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