Army's new fitness tests: New details emerge from leadership

NOTE, this is MY opinion, so if you get easily offended, pass this post and read the next one. Changing the current fitness standards to an MOS specific APFT would be a horrible idea. When you deploy, you can never count on a mission going as planned. Out of my 4 rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan, I've never been a FOBBIT, despite being a mechanic. Heck, this last deployment, I spent more time training the Afghan mechanics (on their own FOB, with no kit, but had a security detail) than anything else. If a change is to be implemented for the Physical Fitness Test, then the change should be to make it equal across the board. Do not lower any of the standards at all. I understand the "logic" behind the gender bias of the current APFT, but it never made sense. If you should have to be carried by a battle buddy to safety, then you shouldn't have to be concerned with size, fitness or gender of the other individual. In a truly equal military, you wouldn't need to. Everyone should have the strength and endurance to accomplish any mission that they happen to be a part of. What should occur, once again, in my opinion, is to get rid of the female standard all together and have everyone take the APFT under the male standard. Going along with that, do away with the age brackets as well. In combat, the enemy doesn't care what gender you are, your personal preferences, nor your age. Everyone should be able to do the same work as anyone else, perform to a set standard, and accomplish any mission required regardless of age or gender. That is where the change should be. All MOS are now open to all genders. This was done in an effort to increase equality. In order to maintain a true fighting force, and prevent it from degenerating, then all standards should be exactly the same. Heck, I'm 32, have a rebuilt right foot, lungs that like to shut down when it's below 35, and I can still easily pass my APFT with no problem, even at the 18 y/o age bracket. If you want to throw some pull-ups into that test, then I'm all for it too. I always love a challenge.

Gobbledy gook. The Army has never had a PT program or PFT that had anything to do with combat (carrying a ton of gear, weapon, ammo, armor a long damn ways, short sprints with that gear and a lot of general picking up of heavy everything)... and it won't now either - because females aren't built for it. They have to lower the standards to get more females into the MOSs and worse, lower the standards for selection requirements for special schools because the Social Justice Warriors aren't going to be satisfied with one female in a unit that some COL fudged through a course and shredded the records. It sounds like a cliche, but lowering the standards has never made anything better, in any MOS.

I've been talking about a gender neutral fitness test for quite some time now. The Department of Defense already directed the services to evaluate the impact of allowing transgendered individuals into the military. What does that really mean? It means you have a couple years, and then you need to allow transgendered individuals into the military.

Beyond integration though, does a Paralegal need the same fitness standards as someone in the Infantry? Why are females standards so much lower than male standards? Are females not expected to need the same abilities?

We have the same issue in the Air Force, and I'm glad to see it's finally being addressed in one of the branches. The Air Force wanted to downsize, so they increased fitness standards. Now we have a greater number of people who are fit, but we've potentially kicked out a number of people who are smart. What do we need more, people who are more fit, or people who are smarter? In the Air Force, where the vast majority of us will not be on the frontlines, the answer is easy.