The Army's top civilian and its top general both said in January that a report from Training and Doctrine Command regarding new ways to measure soldier fitness would be on their desks in 2015.

The year came and went with no fitness-test changes. Next year could be different.

A TRADOC spokesman tells Army Times to expect updates, likely "in the coming months."  Lt. Col. Jeff Pray, public affairs officer for the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training, would not offer details on ongoing tests or possible recommendations.

"We are waiting on guidance from senior military leadership on the future direction for gender-neutral standards," Pray said.

In early 2015, then-Army Secretary John McHugh told Army Times that TRADOC testing of about 700 soldiers over more than two years was part of a plan "to establish MOS-specific physical requirements." These likely would be in addition to a servicewide test similar to the current run-pushup-situp system, then-Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno said in a January virtual all-hands call.

The job-specific tests may offer a single standard, regardless of gender — a process that may overlap with plans to integrate specialties only recently opened to female soldiers.

Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.

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