WASHINGTON (AP) — After three years of complaints and debate, the Army has scrapped its decision to have a physical fitness test that is gender and age neutral, and will now allow women and older soldiers to pass while meeting some reduced standards.
The decision comes after a RAND research organization study confirmed that the men were passing the new six-event fitness test at a much higher rate than women and that older soldiers were also struggling with their scores on the expanded and more difficult test developed in 2019.
However, the change will affect only the regular physical fitness test soldiers take annually. Qualifying for certain Army jobs, particularly more demanding combat positions or specialties like ranger school, will continue to require everyone, regardless of age or gender, to pass the same physical fitness tests and standards.
The Army revamped the fitness test three years ago, going from three events (push-ups, sit-ups and a run) to a more difficult and complicated six-event combination. Those six are deadlifts, power throws, pushups, plank, run, and a sprint/drag/carry combination. a leg fold it was included from the beginning, but has been removed.
However, the new test has drawn widespread criticism as women and older soldiers, including some in senior positions, found it difficult to pass it. National Guard and Reserve troops were also struggling and having difficulty finding and obtaining the necessary equipment to train and practice for the test.
Chaitra Hardison, a behavioral scientist who wrote the RAND study, said the data showed “some groups were failing at markedly higher rates: women, older soldiers, Guard and Reserve personnel, and soldiers in some occupational specialties.” She said the difference in approval rates was the largest between the genders.
The latest change will allow women and soldiers to do slightly less in some of the events and still pass. For example, women would have to deadlift 20 pounds less than men to pass, and men over 46 would also have a lower weight bar. Older women and men would have an extra minute or two to complete the race.
The new program also brings the Army back in line with the other military services, which have different fitness tests but all use tiered event requirements based on age and gender.
Hardison said the RAND study, which included analysis of the tests of about 460,000 soldiers, concluded there was limited evidence showing that the resulting scores accurately predicted combat job performance or that doing well led to a reduction in combat duty. injuries, two reasons why the changes were made in the first place.
In general, RAND said that the test was best used to assess a soldier’s general physical fitness and not to predict job performance, and that using a tiered scale for passing scores made the test less punitive. For example, a low fitness score can affect a soldier’s ability to be promoted.
“Last check,” said Sgt. Army Maj. Michael Grinston will help “uphold the Army’s strong commitment to a positive fitness culture while ensuring equity.”
The Army’s physical fitness test revision in 2019 was prompted by complaints that soldiers were not fit enough. Almost half of the commanders surveyed a year earlier said that the new recruits who arrived could not meet the physical demands of combat. Officials also said that about 12% of soldiers were at some point unable to deploy due to injuries.
After months of study, the Army shelved its long-standing test (two minutes of sit-ups, two minutes of push-ups, a 2-mile run) that scored soldiers differently based on their age and gender. Officials released the new, more difficult version that graded everyone equally but allowed some flexibility in scores for those with less rigorous jobs. That program has been done largely on a trial basis as they worked to finalize it.
The new test included a deadlift, with weights between 140 and 340 pounds; a standing power throw that requires Soldiers to throw a 10-pound medicine ball backwards and over their heads; two minutes of push-ups with manual release; a “sprint-drag-carry” involving 50-yard sprints, sled dragging, and a kettlebell side shuttle; the push-up or plank, and a 2-mile run. Soldiers with a doctor’s note can swim, bike or row instead of run, or can now take a 2.5-mile walk.
The women particularly struggled with the leg curl, where they hang from a bar and lift their knees. The table was soon added as an alternative test of core strength; now the crease is gone.
Congress directed the Army to get an independent evaluation of the test, and Army leaders turned to RAND.
In its study, RAND said that because the test is used for promotions and can affect a soldier’s career, the Army must ensure that the minimum standards are valid and necessary for everyone.
“At the pass rates we observed, many soldiers would fail if the test were instituted today, including soldiers who were considered to be in good standing in the Army,” the study said. He said the Army should consider that several of them are women and soldiers over the age of 45 who hold leadership positions.
Not surprisingly, special forces soldiers, whose lives may depend on their physical abilities, had the highest pass rate at 98% to 100%. But at the lower end of the scale were women, and men, in much less physical jobs, such as food and laundry specialists, various nutrition, health care and human resources staff, and chaplains.
The study concluded that the physical fitness test could kick soldiers out of the Army, either because they failed and were discharged or because they voluntarily dropped out because low scores led to fewer job opportunities.
Under the new plan, there will be a period of preparation for the trial. Active duty soldiers will begin taking the test in April, but will not be penalized if they fail. The test will officially go into effect in October, when the results will begin to count. Soldiers will take the test twice a year.
Guard and Reserve soldiers will have until next April to take the test without consequence, and then the results will begin to count. They take the test once a year.
Soldiers must score at least 60 points in each trial event to pass. The maximum is 100 points. Once the qualification begins to take effect, those who do not pass will be able to retake the test after several months. If they fail twice, they will be discharged from the Army.
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