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Army Combat Fitness Test Standards

Friday, September 27, 2019

What is it?

The Army approved and released the fiscal year 2020 scoring standards for the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). The age- and gender-neutral ACFT will prepare Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve Soldiers for the occupational demands of combat.

  • The ACFT standards are based on the physical demands of Soldier Military Occupational Specialties (MOS). Standards are set at three levels:

    • Gold: moderate MOS physical demands
    • Grey: significant MOS physical demands
    • Black: heavy MOS physical demands
  • Individual performance minimums will be set for each category. Soldiers will have to meet the Gold Standard as a requirement to graduate from Basic Combat Training, Advanced Individual Training, One Station Unit Training, Basic Officer Leadership and the Warrant Officers Basic Leadership courses.

What are the current and past efforts of the Army?

The U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine and U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training conducted extensive research and a large field test to validate specific ACFT events.

Pilot testing was conducted at 63 battalions, comprised of a wide-range of specialties to gather data and feedback from across the force.

MOS-specific physical requirements required for each job skill have been codified in the ACFT standards.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2019, all Soldiers in Initial Military Training will take the ACFT.

What continued efforts does the Army have planned?

Beginning FY20 the Army will implement training and practical testing of the ACFT for all Soldiers in Basic Combat Training, Advanced Individual Training, One Station Unit Training, Warrant Officers Basic Leadership and the Basic Officer Leaders Course.

Active-duty Soldiers, not in initial training units, will take the ACFT as a diagnostic twice during FY20. Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers will take it once.

The FY20 Army-wide diagnostic tests will provide data to inform policy to transform the Army’s human workforce for future combat. Final validations are expected to be complete by October 2020 (FY21).

Why is this important to the Army?

Fundamental to Army readiness is the readiness of the Soldiers. The ACFT is part of the Army’s evolving Holistic Health and Fitness System to generate lethal Soldiers, who are physically ready and mentally strong.

Implementation of the ACFT will improve movement lethality, transform the Army’s fitness culture, reduce preventable injuries and associated attrition, and enhance Soldier mental toughness and stamina.

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Events

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September 2019

National Preparedness Month

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Focus Quote for the Day

Physical fitness is fundamental to sustained Army readiness. We must have highly trained, disciplined and physically fit Soldiers capable of winning on any battlefield. The ACFT… will help us assess and improve the individual readiness of the force.

- Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston

New changes to ACFT being rolled out to impact all Soldiers