This has been a topic for years. Will the APFT ever change? How fast would it be implimented?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 23:32:06 -0500

Response by TSgt Joe C. made Dec 6 at 2016 11:33 PM

TSgt Joe C. — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 23:33:33 -0500

Seems to be evolving in each branch of the military.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 6 at 2016 11:39 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 23:39:06 -0500

All of the new ideas are great sounding.....but then comes the realization that they have to come up with some sort of alternate events and then figure out how the grading standards are going to be for those alternate events. What kind of changes do you recommend?

Response by SFC George Smith made Dec 6 at 2016 11:40 PM

SFC George Smith — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 23:40:36 -0500

in 1973 to 1977 there was a 5 event Army PT Test... push ups, sit ups, run-dodge-jump, horiznal ladder, 3 mile run... the it went to push ups, sit ups, with 2 mile run
to that ever it is now...

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2016 7:27 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 07:27:35 -0500

It will change. It will be more specific in what it measures and it will be harder/more physically challenging.
Oh, and many people will not like it...

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2016 9:25 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 09:25:19 -0500

Change is right around the corner.....

I heard that about four times in my career and once or twice in ROTC. I will retire with it right around the corner.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2016 10:42 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 10:42:50 -0500

The current APFT is designed to be easily administered with minimal personnel, equipment and site requirements. It wasn't intended to be something that affected careers either, just something for the commanders to see what you can do, but the second it had a score system with numbers, it easily became a competitive event for some, and a standard measuring stick for others.
The way I see it, there are plenty of dirtbags who can pass the APFT, and no amount of changing the APFT is going to change that, just make it harder for us to actually test people.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2016 11:46 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 11:46:48 -0500

SSG Private RallyPoint Member I agree that the current APFT might have nothing to do with actual combat, but in my experience in the Army, most units have a laundry list of Soldiers that cannot pass this simple test......so my question is: are we going to lower the standards so all of those that struggle with the current APFT could pass? Or are we going to have a fitness test that actually measures what you need to do in your MOS and possibly have even more failures?

Response by Maj Kim Patterson made Dec 8 at 2016 9:33 AM

Maj Kim Patterson — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 09:33:38 -0500

SSG Private RallyPoint Member physical is important no matter how old one gets. What we do to maintain it may different. Mental fitness is also important.,I am more than the number of push-ups or pull-ups or mileage I can cover. I chose to dance for cardio, range of motion, and keeping my body as healthy as possible. My mind I keep agile through reading, discussion, and constant therapy as well as engaging in on line conversation.

Response by SPC William Weedman made Dec 12 at 2016 9:07 AM

SPC William Weedman — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 09:07:15 -0500

It think that our major commitment to our wartime is winding down (I hope) and we are settling into a more garrison or peacetime military. Suddenly things that were overlooked while we were deployed are important again like marksmanship, physical fitness, height/weight, legal issues etc. So mid career officers need to seem useful so they are trying to find ways to be relavant as the commander isn't as likely to be wounded or killed on post as he might downrange. I remember asked my squad leader once how important my ability to make my bunk was to my skills as a soldier and a medic if we went to war. His response was to smoke me bacause he didn't have a logical answer. In short our (hopefully) peacetime military needs a way to occupy a service members time other than sitting around waiting for the next war...

Response by CSM James Winslow made Dec 14 at 2016 5:41 AM

CSM James Winslow — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 05:41:32 -0500

BLUF: Probably not in the foreseeable future. The current 3 event APFT measures the basic fitness levels that a member of the Army (as decided by the leadership of the Army) need to possess in order to be minimally fit to perform the general tasks of "Soldiering". It was determined that the Pushup, Sit up and the Two mile run were enough to measure Upper body Strength and endurance, Core strength and endurance, and Cardio-vascular strength and endurance. Better than the previous 5 event PT test. The current PT test requires no additional equipment and special facilities (think the aforementioned 5 event test) to execute and is (in the current way of thinking) a valid GENERAL measure of overall fitness. There are being developed a series of MOS related fitness tests to measure Job specific requirements, and these are currently being evaluated. It is the ONLY test in the military where the minimum standard is 60% (every other test requires a minimum of 70% to pass). Will it go away? I doubt it. Will the Standards change? Most certainly. As the Army becomes more integrated and the MOS specific tests come into force, the 3 Event PT test may lose on importance in the promotion system or the two scores may be combined in some fashion. As a final note, be happy- at least you don't have to do the horizontal ladder or the inverted crawl anymore....

Response by MSG Mamerto Perez made Dec 14 at 2016 7:39 AM

MSG Mamerto Perez — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 07:39:59 -0500

The APFT should go back like it was in the early 60's. The Push-Ups, Sit-Ups and two (2) mile run is doing nothing to improve the Soldier from endurance in Combat. The Run, Dutch, Jump, 40 yard Crawl and Mile run should be reinstated.

Response by SPC John Wheeler made Dec 14 at 2016 9:29 AM

SPC John Wheeler — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 09:29:34 -0500

I have read many of the comments on this subject and wow how things have changed since 1989 when I got out. I had one of those MOS's that didn't have great potential for promotion to E-5. I was a 44E machinist once they did away with the Spec 5 rank the cutoff score rarely went below 998 for that MOS. So I spent 4 years of my 8 years on active duty as a E-4(P) with nearly 900 points when I got out. A 12B was getting promoted with a score of 450 points. I knew and understood why as well. Anyway my point is that If I remember correctly if I would have made my cutoff score and if I hadn't passed my PT test and qualified on my last firing range with my M16A2 I still would not get promoted until I did assuming that I still made the cutoff score when I became eligible. When I was in everyone was a soldier first then comes your primary job. When I was in the 5th engr. BN. I still had to pass the soldier's stakes test every year that all soldiers E-6 and below had to pass which was mainly basic soldier things like dawning your gas mask. taking your weapon apart and reassemble it in a certain amount of time, first aid. as examples. Basically if you couldn't soldier you couldn't get promoted even to E-4.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 14 at 2016 12:55 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 12:55:28 -0500

I was part of a recent study looking at alternatives. A soldiers score on the current APFT has a very poor correlation with his or her ability to perform warrior tasks and battle drills (once TRADOC lifts the embargo on the data, I'll be able to publish it). TRADOC has chosen to focus on implementing the occupational performance assessment test (OPAT) at MEPS first, my contacts suggest that we may see a change in the APFT sometime this FY.

Response by SPC Brian Stephens made Dec 14 at 2016 7:37 PM

SPC Brian Stephens — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 19:37:55 -0500

I thought they had changed to include pull-ups and other exercises, but I guess not. Pushups, situps, and the two-mile run goes from before I enlisted in 1988.

Response by SGT Tim Fridley made Dec 14 at 2016 10:26 PM

SGT Tim Fridley — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 22:26:44 -0500

I was Active duty for 14 years and National Guard for 12 more. Seen the APFT change exactly once. 1979 or 80 don't remember exactly which but it went from 5 events to 3.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 15 at 2016 1:37 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 13:37:52 -0500

I've always found it to be lacking in "real life" relevance along with the height and weight standard. Through all my almost 3 years I've been towards the bottom of the pt score list but when it came to putting a rifle in my hands with armor and a ruck on my back I vastly outperformed those pretty boys who scored around 300...obviously something needs to change.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 17 at 2016 10:22 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 10:22:19 -0500

I went to basic in 2001 and we did PRT at time. Yes, that far back. They kept telling us that the PT test would change including the 1.5 mile run, the sprint, and the other usually stuff. Was told in 2005 in my unit it would change. At BOLC in 2011 that it would change. In the 82nd in 2012-13 it would change. In the SCCC that it would change. So... probably after I retire in 2021 at this rate.

Response by Cpl John Mathews made Dec 30 at 2016 10:31 AM

Cpl John Mathews — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 10:31:57 -0500

I feel the need to be cautious here as I am unfamiliar with the army PFT. Nonetheless, I'll stick a toe in the water. Also, throughout my time in the Marines I only had to take our full PFT once or twice because of significant injuries that led to my medical retirement (as I write this I am just out of hospital from my 11th or 12th surgery).

I always saw the PFT as an instrument to drive Marines to maintain physical fitness. And there was a direct connection to being a career Marine as the score was part of a total value used for promotion. The true measure of physical fitness was in the unit runs, unit calisthenics, and other organized athletic activities. That was when the Gunney got to see who was lagging behind and needed some extra "instruction," such as being ordered to participate in a headquarters run physical fitness program.

Response by SGM Joel Cook made Dec 30 at 2016 10:33 PM

SGM Joel Cook — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 22:33:56 -0500

If it ain't broke don't fix it! About 1982 in Korea, we got rid of the old Army PT test. It took more than half a day for a company to administer and it took about 25 soldiers to grade and run it. A serious waste of good time. We would do half of it go to lunch and come back to finish after eating, always a bad idea. Some Commanders made us skip lunch to finish the event faster. Events were #1. Run, dodge, and jump. #2. Horizontal ladder. #3. Crab Crawl. #4. Chin ups. #5. Push ups #6. Sit ups #7. Two mile run. Some of you vets who were in prior to 1980 did I leave any events out?

Response by 1SG Harold Piet made Jan 31 at 2017 5:58 AM

1SG Harold Piet — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 05:58:35 -0500

It will, but it will still be unfair. All soldiers should have the same standards. Except the Special ops, then all special ops soldiers should have the same test standards. Age, rank and gender should not alter the standard. In combat it takes the same amount of strength to survive no matter the age, rank or gender. If you can not pass it, pack it. NCO's if you can not lead from the front, tighten up or find a new occupation.

Response by CSM Thomas McGarry made Feb 23 at 2017 3:42 PM

CSM Thomas McGarry — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 15:42:05 -0500

Many years ago when I attended the Army's Master Fitness Trainer Course they indicated at that time that the sit-up is probably one of the worst exercises for your back. Also I believe even then the Army was the only service that incorporated it into their APFT. I retired in 2014 but I'm pretty sure it's still part of the APFT!!

Response by SSG Robert Pratt made Feb 24 at 2017 11:33 AM

SSG Robert Pratt — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:33:14 -0500

It changed several times during my 20 years of service. We used to have the run, dodge, and jump, the inverted crawl, the overhead ladder along with the push-up and 2 mile rum.