A controversial proposal that would force the Army to return to its old, and what service leadership argue is inferior, fitness test would allow for some changes, including swapping out events, according to legislative language released Tuesday.
The Senate Armed Services Committee unveiled the specifics of its proposed National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which would direct the service to immediately revert back to the Army Physical Fitness Test, or APFT, developed in the 1980s and its standard measure until last year.
The bill gives the Army room to change the events and scoring standards for the APFT, including adding events from the current fitness test, but only after at least a two-year period of a pilot and a briefing to lawmakers from the Army secretary. It also says the service can continue conducting the Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT, as an unofficial assessment. But in practice, it's unlikely units would bother with off-the-books fitness tests.
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“Nothing in this section prohibits the Army from using the Army Combat Fitness Test, or any other physical assessment the Army may develop, as a supplemental tool to assess physical fitness for all or parts of the force,” the legislation reads. “Army Commanders may also require higher standards than the Army-wide grading scale for promotions, awards, schools and similar…
