Army Lowers Fitness Test Standards After Half of Women Were Failing.
The Army unveiled its controversial new fitness test on Wednesday, a dramatically revamped set of requirements for soldiers that replace standards created in 1983 after years of limbo and broad skepticism from many in the service, including the secretary of the Army.
The final version of the test goes live on April 1 with soldiers not having scores impact their record, a grading that can have effects ranging from promotion to expulsion from the Army, until Oct. 1. However, the Army will not immediately boot failures out of the force.
Part-time National Guard and Reserve soldiers have until April 2023 before scores are entered into their record.
The most significant changes to the six-event ACFT is that it no longer is meant to prepare soldiers for combat. It will also have different scoring standards for men and women.
Researchers at Rand found that only 52% of enlisted active-duty women were able to pass the original design for the ACFT, compared to 92% of men in their congressionally mandated study released Wednesday.
Only 42% of women in the National Guard and 41% in the Reserve could pass.
Pass rates among officers are slightly higher with 72% of women passing, compared to 96% of men on active duty. 57% of female officers in the National Guard and 49% in the Reserve passed the ACFT during Rand’s study.
Women interviewed by Military.com over the past year suspect the enlisted-officer divide can be partially attributed to officers having more freedom to work out on their own time and having more money for workout gear, personal trainers and high-quality gyms.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/03/23/gendered-scoring-no-more-leg-tucks-army-unveils-new-fitness-test-heres-what-you-need-know.html
