Should there be one minimum APFT standard regardless of age and gender? What do you all think?

Capt Richard I P. do you feel that when you are 50 you will be able to run as fast as you are now?

LTC (Join to see) when I'm 50 I'll probably have to accept a lower score than when I was 20.

Agreed and I hear you. SOme one look at my question and make assumption of negative intentions or that I am trying to say women and old people should be forced out. I am saying neither and I want all quality Soldiers to perform based on their own capability. My point is that for me I find it unfair and even unequal to ask anyone to meet different minimum standards because of their gender or age. To me that is degrading and disrespectful to all of them. Then if you want an additional physical test for an Infantry or Artillery Soldier for example then fine. I understand that anyone serving in a particular duty position could have additional physical requirements

I whole heartedly agree Sir. I personally have felt that way since the day I joined and learned the standard was different. It's so difficult to have female soldiers emulate the mindset of going for the male scale on a pt test.

SGT Chiaraluce, you have confused anecdotes for evidence. It scares me a little for you to say "science is crap" but I hold out hope that you really don't feel that way. The simple truth of it is that the best trained female athlete is still going to come in a distant second to the best trained male athlete and you know that is the truth. If it were not true (and backed up by science) then we would have female players in the NFL and we would not have a WNBA. Those two examples of course are from the unimportant world of professional sports. They have nothing to do with the real world of combat where no one cares if you can keep up on a 14 min mile pace with 45lbs. In the real world, we care that you are the strongest, most fit Soldier possible when you have to drag me and my equipment out of the line of fire. Add on the battle rattle and many of us approach 300 pounds... Science is a bitch it isn't crap.

To clarify Sir, I was merely trying to say that when that it is said, “Well science says…” the mindset it sets is crap. Science is evident. The mindset and saying that starting in basic to female soldiers sets a toxic mindset Sir. Properly trained athletes in the Army should be able to do a 290 or higher, however to truly gauge and push our soldiers verbiage like that shouldn’t be encouraged. The standard for push-ups and the 2 mile run should be made equal so the PT test is a fair assessment across the board.