Soldiers assigned to 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command participated in the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) Pilot Program, Dec. 4-7, 2018 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The U.S. Army Physical Fitness School Mobile Training Team (MTT) from Fort Jackson, South Carolina, made their way to Fort Bragg to train Soldiers on how to properly conduct and evaluate the ACFT.
“All of the training from the MTT was great,” said Sgt. Nestor, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 264th CSSB. “I would have to say the best part was learning how to grade the ACFT. With the current APFT, any NCO can be a grader. With the ACFT, every grader must be certified in order to grade the ACFT as this ensures a more accurate view into a service members physical capabilities.
“It’s difficult to just release a manual that may have some degree of speculation and misunderstanding, so the MTT is the way to actually launch a proper product [ACFT],” said Cpt. Marshall McCloud, ACFT MTT officer in charge.
The ACFT, which is scheduled to replace the old test no later than Oct. 2020, consists of 6 events: 3 maximum repetition deadlift, standing power throw, hand-release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, leg tuck, and a two-mile run.
“The toughest part of the ACFT was the sprint-drag-carry, because your legs just want to give up,” said Sgt. Brianna Billy, 8th Ordnance Company, 264th CSSB. “Dragging the sled 25 meters down and back, then carrying two 40-pound kettle bells is an additional 80-pounds that you’re not used to carrying.”
“The ACFT is a test that better gauges a service members physical capabilities,” said Nestor. “The reason being, the current Army Physical Fitness Test only gauges push-ups, sit-ups, and the two-mile run, while comparatively the ACFT’s events are all combat focused and directly relate to things a service member would face in a combat environment.”
“Often times students who have taken the ACFT have said that it is easier to pass, which is not the goal,” said McCloud. “That’s what the students are echoing. However, there’s six events and when performed in sequence it is a really good indicator of your overall combat fitness and effectiveness.”
The entire ACFT will be conducted with a continuous clock and must be completed within 50 minutes. The specific grading approach and standards will be determined based on data collected from the field test. The ACFT provides the Army with an evidence-based test that will help leaders determine the Soldiers overall combat readiness when it comes to physical fitness.
“The test is physically demanding, but it is not impossible. I didn't think that I was going to pass it but I did,” said Billy. “It lets you know that you are a lot stronger than what you think you are, but at the same time it taught me that I am not as physically fit as I want to be.”
Unlike the current Army Physical Fitness Test, the ACFT doesn’t have standards based on the age and the sex of the Soldier taking the test. The standards are based on the requirements of a Soldier’s Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). Scoring for the new test consists of 100 points for each event for a maximum of 600. Minimum scores, however, may change depending on a Soldier's MOS.
McCloud said, “The new ACFT is both age and gender neutral. So no longer will we consider or really unfairly separate people based on gender and age. Instead we are saying we’re all soldiers and we’re all expected to perform at a certain level.”
“You don't have to be in combat to see the benefits of the ACFT. You see it every day in the motorpool, on a flight line, in the office, everywhere that we work or do business,” said McCloud. “Soldiers are enjoying the test. If you haven't taken the ACFT, take it. It gets very exciting.”