APFT changes to benefit redeploying troops

By Kristin Molinaro, The BayonetNovember 6, 2009

APFT changes to benefit redeploying troops
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BENNING, Ga. -- Army Regulation 350-1 is being revised to give more Soldiers a chance to excel in Army training.

According to a Department of the Army memo released in October, Soldiers attending professional military education and functional training courses shorter than eight weeks will no longer be administered an Army physical fitness test as a course requirement. Soldiers enrolled in courses longer than eight weeks who fail the APFT will graduate but their DA Form 1059 will state they've marginally achieved course standards and failed to meet APFT standards.

"Soldiers are coming to the schoolhouse straight out of theater who may or may not have had an opportunity to do good physical fitness training," said Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Walker, commandant of the U.S Army Infantry School. "Guys just coming from the fight don't have the chance to get back in the shape they need to be in such a short period of time."

As a result, Walker said record physical fitness tests are no longer used as an evaluation tool in military courses less than eight weeks long.

The APFT requirement will be waived for Soldiers returning from a combat deployment and reporting directly to a course within 30 or fewer training days.

Soldiers flagged for APFT failure or weight control will not be selected, scheduled or attend institutional training. Once Soldiers meet the standards, they will be considered eligible for military schools and training courses.

The changes affect all Army training and leader development courses, including progressive levels of education for military officers.

"We will still administer a diagnostic APFT," said Command Sgt Maj. Zoltan James, commandant of the Henry Caro NCO Academy at Fort Benning. "These scores have always been used in the selection criteria for honor graduates. Another reason for the diagnostic test is that we are still required to do the height and weight analysis, which is normally done after a physical fitness test."

Soldiers with profiles will also see changes in the revised regulation.

Soldiers with temporary or permanent medical profiles as a result of an operational deployment will be permitted to attend military education courses within the guidelines of their profile. Soldiers must have a copy of their profile and a memorandum signed by their commander stating the profile is the result of injuries sustained from an operational deployment. Commanders will remove Soldiers with temporary profiles not resulting from a deployment and prevent full participation.

Soldiers with a permanent designator of 2 in their physical profile must include a copy of DA Form 3349 as part of the course application. They will be eligible to attend appropriate courses and train within the limits of their profile provided they can meet the graduation requirements. Soldiers with a designator of 3 or 4 must include DA Form 3349 and the results of their military medical review board as part of the application.

Soldiers who've been before a medical retention board, awarded medical limitations and allowed to retain their occupational classification will be eligible to attend courses and train within the limits of their profile.

Soldiers receiving temporary or permanent physical profile limitations after enrolling in resident training courses will be evaluated by school commandants and commanders for continued enrollment.

James said he expects the changes will give more Soldiers the opportunity to attend military courses.

"The old school way was to administer the APFT at the start of the course and send Soldiers back to their units if they failed," James said. "But the standard now, post-9/11, is that all Soldiers need to be trained regardless of their physical fitness level."