U.S. Army combat soldiers will be expected to pass the same “sex-neutral” physical test, that military branch announced on Monday, weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the elimination of lower physical fitness standards for women in combat roles. The change could hinder the Army’s ability to recruit and retain women in particularly dangerous military jobs.
The new test, the Army Fitness Test, will replace the Army Combat Fitness Test, and “is designed to enhance Soldier fitness, improve warfighting readiness, and increase the lethality of the force,” the Army wrote in its announcement. The new scoring standards will be phased in beginning on June 1, the Army said.
Like its forerunner, the new test will be administered to active duty soldiers twice a year, and once per year to National Guard and Reserve troops. If soldiers fail the test two times in a row, they may be removed from the Army.
The new fitness test is very similar to the previous one. It consists of five events: dead lifts, push-ups, planks, a two-mile run and a workout where soldiers sprint, then drag a weighted sled and carry kettlebells.
The new Army Fitness Test eliminates the standing power throw, an event sometimes called the ball yeet, which is widely disliked by service members; it requires soldiers to throw a 10-pound medicine ball backward over their heads. The biggest overall change will be in how the test is scored for 21 close combat occupations that are likely to be involved in heavy fighting in wartime: Women in those categories will be graded on the “male” scale, which is likely to significantly reduce the number of them who meet the requirements.
For example, to pass the dead lift event, women ages 17 to 21 will need to lift at least 140 pounds, instead of the 120 required under the old standards. They will also have to run two miles in 22 minutes, instead of 23 minutes and 22 seconds.
After their introduction in June, active duty soldiers in the 21 combat specialties will be held to the new standards in January 2026, and National Guard and Reserve troops will need to meet them by June. The test for noncombat units, also called combat-enabling roles, will continue to be assessed based on sex and age, the Army said. If a currently enlisted close combat unit member cannot pass the new test, they would be required to change their military occupation, said Sgt. Maj. Christopher Mullinax.
The new test comes three weeks after Mr. Hegseth ordered the elimination of lower physical fitness standards for women in combat positions. In 2022, the Army had eased the standards for women and older members.
Mr. Hegseth, a former National Guard infantryman and Fox News host, has previously opposed the inclusion of women in some combat roles. In a recent book, he wrote that “women cannot physically meet the same standards as men.”
“Dads push us to take risks,” he wrote. “Moms put the training wheels on our bikes. We need moms. But not in the military, especially in combat units.”
He later backtracked, saying in December that “if we have the right standard and women meet that standard, Roger, let’s go.”
Jonathan Wolfe is a Times reporter based in London, covering breaking news.
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