Complaints of ‘Lopsided’ ACFT
Soldiers were introduced to the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) starting last October, which replaced the old Army Physical Fitness Test. Soldiers will be expected to meet ACFT requirements regardless of age or gender, as part of military training. The minimum requirements will instead vary by job or unit.
Despite the differences in test requirements, early data shows nearly half the female soldiers failed to pass the minimum requirements. Testing includes:
-Strength deadlift: You must perform a three-repetition deadlift, with the weight increased with each repetition. The weight range of the deadlift is 120 to 420 pounds. The deadlifts replicate picking up ammunition boxes, a wounded soldier, supplies or heavy equipment.
-Standing power throw: You will need to toss a 10-pound ball backward as far as possible to test the muscular explosive power that may be needed to lift yourself or a fellow soldier over an obstacle or to move rapidly across uneven terrain.
-Hand-release pushups: You will have two minutes to do as many hand-release pushups as possible. Depending on your job, there may be a minimum number you are required to complete. These are similar to traditional pushups, but at the down position you lift your hands and arms from the ground and then reset to do another pushup.
-Sprint/drag/carry: You must run five times up and down a 25-meter lane, sprinting, dragging a sled weighing 90 pounds, and then carrying two 40-pound kettlebell weights. This can simulate pulling a soldier out of harm’s way, moving quickly to take cover, or carrying ammunition to a fighting position or vehicle.
-Leg tuck: Similar to a pull-up, you must lift your legs up and down to touch your knees/thighs to your elbows between one and five times. This exercise strengthens the core muscles.
-Two-mile run: This is a timed run to build endurance and cardiovascular strength.
Finally recognizing the physical differences between the genders, the Army is considering some changes.
Army Mulls Returning to Gendered Fitness Standards over Complaints of ‘Lopsided’ ACFT
By Steve Beynon
The Army is considering adding gender-specific standards to its new Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT, after early data shows nearly half of female soldiers can’t pass the test and might face being removed from service once it becomes official next year.
Service officials, including Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston, testified before a House Appropriations Committee subpanel Monday that scores may end up being separated by gender to identify the 1st, 10th, 25th and 50th percentile of soldiers.
In practice, this could mean men and women still would have to meet the same standards but would not be compared to one another. Physical fitness scores are heavily considered in promotions, especially in combat-arms jobs such as infantry and cavalry.
Army officials said one possibility would be to note the soldier’s percentile ranking in their record. For example, the record could show the soldier was in the top 10% of fitness ability among their gender across the Army.
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“We expect all soldiers to meet the exact same minimum standards, regardless of age, gender, or occupational specialty,” the trio said in their combined written testimony.
The news comes shortly after Military.com obtained internal Army data showing that 44% of women are failing the ACFT, compared to 7% of men.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla), chairwoman of the House Appropriations subpanels, had a few pointed questions on the issue. The answers are patently obvious.
Category: "The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves", Big Army
We got this!
It’s weird pain-in-the-ass… mostly because of odd movements people will likely hurt themselves learning to do properly.
This key item is unadulterated horseshit:
“men and women still would have to meet the same standards but would not be compared to one another”
In other words, different standards, overtly, allowing folks who don’t measure up to pretend that they do, and demanding everyone share in telling that lie.
Because women are every bit physically the same as men, just as capable, they need different and lesser standards to be the same.
Do I have that right?
Not quite. Everyone will have to meet the minimum standard for their MOS, which would qualify them to stay in that specialty.
However, their scores will be ‘normalized’ and presented as a percentage for promotion boards, OMLs, etc.
I am not a fan of this, but it is better than the old APFT and associated scoring. The APFT was an OK measure of general fitness but a terrible assessment functional fitness. At least females (and weak males) will get a ‘go/no go’ assessment of fitness for their MOS.
The scoring was gender and age normed, creating the ‘tyranny of low expectations’. Generations of women thought they were in good shape because they were scoring 300 on that test, when in reality they had no strength, power, or muscular endurance.
The next step will be removing gender from board files entirely, so boards won’t know that the female that scored in the top percentile actually performed far worse than the male with the same normed score.
Maybe I’m slow, but are you saying they’ll be grading on a curve basically?
Yes, a woman that scores in the 5th percentile, for women, would actually be somewhere around the 50th percentile, if that, if the scores included men. The end result will be that even though no, or almost no women would EVER break the top 20% if both (yes, there are only two) genders were included, (don’t believe me? look at women world class athletes who get beat by high school boys.. the US womens soccer team is a great example), there will be women going to promotion boards with a report showing they’re in the top 5% or better.
In light of this delayed recognition of the reality that men and women aren’t equally capable in physical performance, are some combat/physically intensive MOS’s going to be closed to females?
Nope, they’ll just make sure that the minimums are low enough that at least some women can pass..
What the fuck are you talking about?
I have NEVER met a Soldier that scored 300 in the APFT and was not fit, regardless of being male or female.
My reply was Steele.
*for
Throughout my 23 year Army Career I saw times when some small and slim “PT Gazelle” who scored at or near perfect on the APFT that couldn’t hack it on a heavy road march was put in the front of the promotion line while some big burly weightlifter who could flip a Deuce or a Five Ton truck by muscle, hustle like nobody’s business in an intense Field Problem while passing the APFT get listed as “obese” and put in the back of the line.
Yep. Had one of those PT gazelles in my unit once.
Did more sit ups and push ups and had a faster run time than anybody in the company. All at 5’3″ 115lbs.
When ruck march time came around, it was a struggle for her to keep up with me and the CO (both 6’+ former 0311s). And the rucks weren’t even that heavy, maybe 35lbs
I got no problem with the “PT gazelles”. They can be very effective in combat.
I don’t give a rat ass if someone can carry me when wounded, as proverbially argued in the online Army sites.
We fight first, and only when the tactical situation is under control, the area secure, we treat the wounded and casevac or call the 9-line medevac.
I don’t expect Soldiers to singlehandedly carry another Soldier in full battle rattle. That is movie bullshit. We fight first, win the fight, and then deal with the casualties.
That’s why “PT gazelles” are FAR more combat effective than the burly dudes that can’t run and become a heat casualty in the middle of a firefight, with cramps, vomit and passing out.
I don’t give a fuck how strong a dude is. 300 APFT, 4 miles in 32 minutes run, 12 miles in 3 hours with 50 lbs ruck footmarch. That’s all I ask for in an infantry Soldier.
Might work out for you Infantry types. My experience tells me “PT Gazelles” aren’t worth a pinch of shit in Signal.
I can’t tell you how many times I watched 300+ scoring PT studs fail miserably in the field while the low-end scorers were still kicking ass.
Plus… Left/libtards’ latest: Evil white men improperly claimed sainted victimhood by going to ‘Nam, getting arms/legs blown off and being called a “baby killer” and/or spit on when they came back to keep wimmens and/or minorities down!
“The White Men Who Want to be Victims,” by Chris Lehmann, The New Republic, 21 May 2021
https://newrepublic.com/article/162472/white-men-wanted-victims-culture-wars-joseph-darda-review
It’s “The New Republic”, as leftist a rag as the NY Slime. And just as truthful.
Minimum standards for being able to do specific jobs are important. And at some point in time, or any given battlefield, that person’s job description and duty MOS may change because of “exigencies of the service”. (INCOMING, we got _______s in the wire, get those wounded over to the Dust Off Point!) I have NO problem with anyone having the equal opportunity to do any job that they have the desire AND the ability to do.
Equal opportunity does not mean equal ability.
Ma Bell and the Power Companies tried all of these experiments when they had females wanting the job and corresponding pay of Outside Plant Line Construction. Hard, hot/cold, very physically demanding, and dangerous work. Most of them did not have the physical upper body strength to lift a 238 lb manhole (peoplehole) lid for underground work…or to carry a nearly 100 lb fiberglass extension ladder for long distances to reach aerial plant that you couldn’t use a bucket truck to get to. It caused problems.
The purpose of the Military is to defend the Constitution and the Country. Not to be a Social Experiment on warm and fuzzy.
My daughter scored Black in all categories, while maxing greater than 1/2 of the events. Oh, SHE is focused, grades herself (YUP HERSELF) against HER peers (MALE and FEMALE), helps them achieve their goals and refuses to quit. If SHE views HERself weak on something, SHE focuses on getting stronger in the “Something” and pushes forward. Oh, SHE is 5’5″ 125lbs of never quitting, motivated energy.
f’ those that feel violated and want the standards changed so they can jeopardize those to their Left/Right, Front/Back.
I seem to recall a quote on a Tshirt I saw: “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better”. Or something like that.
And thus America loses another woman that would have been a great wife and mother.
“A nation that sends their women to war loses the future.”
82nd Airborne 1978
“4 in 32”
4 mile formation run on pavement in 32 minutes.
Uniform: T-shirt,fatigue pants and boots.
Chant:
Gotta run, can’t quit
If ya quit, chickenshit!
That was a good year…took my platoon to a 5k, ran in the same uniform as you did…we did the 5k in 22 minutes and change, I have the paperwork to this day to prove it…
Was most entertaining to be passing the dudes in the running shorts and shoes wearing our pickle suit pants, leather boots, and t-shirts.
Good times.
1978 sucked, but was a good year.
“ The news comes shortly after Military.com obtained internal Army data showing that 44% of women are failing the ACFT, compared to 7% of men.”
In the immortal words of R. Lee Ermey: Well, no shit!
How to reduce the size of the military in one simple stroke. Can’t make the new ultra high standard, you’re out. Don’t matter how good you are at your job.
Word.
And start retiring SGM’s and Generals that cannot bench press 225.
Would save the American taxpayer a bundle.
Ol’ Poe’s been wonderin’ why if females in the military are supposedly the physical equals of their male counterparts and capable of serving in combat, then why is it that female athletes in the collegiate world are filing lawsuits all over the place to prevent transgender males from competing in and dominating their women’s sports events?
Hmm? 🤔🤔🤔
Huh, if only there had been some studies that indicated men and women have significant differences in basic strength measurements…
It’s too bad they had no idea that men and women would perform differently during a fitness test.
I’m SO glad I’m retired.
My DD214 is my woobie, I shall not fear…….