The Army’s physical readiness program is poised to get a bit more complicated over the next couple of years with the roll-out of the new Army Combat Fitness Test.
On Friday, the Center for Initial Military Training launched an official site with descriptions, training tips and video demonstrations to help soldiers prepare for the shift, which could come as early as Oct. 1, 2019.
The site walks users through an implementation timeline, then lays out all six events. You can watch a video of each exercise as it’s performed on the test, plus three more with alternatives you can practice in the gym ― or in your living room ― to train the same muscles used in the test.
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You also get a rundown of the equipment needed, tips for technique, what specific parts of the body each event trains, and how that relates to a common soldier task.
“The Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC) is a test of strength, endurance, and anaerobic capacity, which are needed to accomplish high-intensity combat tasks that last from a few seconds to several minutes,” according to the site.
The Army is in the midst of a pilot with 63 battalions to determine scoring standards or any tweaks needed to make the test more feasible. Leaders can choose to implement the program Army-wide as soon as October of next year, but as late as October 2020.
Explore the new site here.
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.