Why US Army is scrapping its 'combat' fitness test and introducing tougher standards for frontline troops

The US Army is overhauling its physical fitness assessment, replacing the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) with a streamlined version called the Army Fitness Test (AFT), according to an internal memo obtained by Military.com. The revamped test drops the word “combat” from its name, removes a widely criticised event, and sets new performance benchmarks for soldiers in combat roles.

Set for phased implementation beginning June 1, 2025, the AFT will retain five events from the current test: the three-repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up with arm extension, sprint-drag-carry, plank, and two-mile run. The standing power throw — a medicine ball toss long ridiculed by soldiers for favouring taller participants and relying on technique over strength — will be eliminated. A RAND Corporation study previously noted the event's correlation with soldier height.

The updated AFT will introduce sex-neutral but age-normed standards for 21 combat military occupational specialties (MOS), including infantry, armour, field artillery, cavalry, and Special Forces. These soldiers must achieve at least 60 points in each event, with a total minimum score of 350. The test will be scored out of a possible 500 points, down from the previous 600 due to the event reduction. The new standards will take effect on January 1, 2026, for active-duty soldiers and June 1, 2026, for the Reserve and National Guard.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been a vocal proponent of gender-neutral fitness standards . “We need to have the same standard, male or female, in our combat roles,” Hegseth said in a video posted on X in March. “Soon, we'll have nothing but the highest and equal standards for men and women in combat.”

While the memo outlines detailed changes for combat roles, it notably omits cannon crew members and combat medics, raising questions about whether these were oversights. Additionally, it remains unclear whether the Army will retain its current policy allowing soldiers who score 540 to skip height and weight assessments. The Army has not yet responded to requests for clarification.

The AFT’s introduction comes amid criticism that the existing test had low thresholds for passing. Currently, a soldier can pass by completing only 10 push-ups and running two miles in 22 minutes. By contrast, high scores demand elite athletic performance.

Soldiers with medical profiles who cannot complete all test events must score at least 70 points in each permitted event. Implementation guidance and execution orders are expected in May.

The ACFT was launched in 2022 after more than a decade of development. Initially envisioned as a job-specific assessment tailored to different MOSs, that approach was scrapped due to logistical complexity. Gender-neutral standards, once a cornerstone of the ACFT, were similarly dropped—now reintroduced for combat-designated troops under the AFT.

According to the Army, the new test aims to “enhance Soldier fitness, improve warfighting readiness, and increase the lethality of the force.”