Posted on Sep 25, 2018
PFC Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic
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ACFT thoughts?

I know you've all probably talked about this to death, but I'd like to know RP's general thoughts on the new ACFT. I've chatted with people in my company and with others and everyone I know seems to have serious reservations about this because of the significantly lower standards.
In my opinion, getting rid of the age brackets is a serious mistake. maybe for some older soldiers it may be good, but for the vast majority of younger people such as myself the new PT test has become much easier to pass.
A friend of mine said his unit partook in the ACFT and told me it took nearly two hours to complete for a small sized company. The APFT needed to be changed but this is a step in the wrong direction.
Here's a video which I think sums up my thoughts perfectly https://youtu.be/6c7ocWXsO0Y
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Posted in these groups: P542 APFTAf2d43ec ACFT
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Responses: 11
SGT Military Police
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Bass ackwards, in true Army style. Years of 300PT scores making a stellar soldier who promotes rapidly, and beyond capacity has created an organization that can't measure soldiers subjectively. Critical thinking skills haven't been important for leadership, so all measures are objective to prevent the need to think. Computer based learned has replaced mentoring and become the primary teaching model because the accountability is easy to pass off instead of owning it at lower levels. Garrison mindset is growing again and pushing out the generation of warriors who are experienced and can battle train the new soldiers, but they aren't "inspection ready" so garrison doesn't want them.
PT is vital, no doubt, but it is not and should not be weighted as importantly as it is. The priority of evaluation should be on the MOS specific tasks. It is embarrassing to see leaders who don't know the basics of their job having to be trained and corrected by privates. PT should be a go/nogo event, simple enough. The 10 level mos skills should be the graded and heavily measured metric.
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1SG Vet Technician
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I am very concerned about the run. Right now CBRN is considered heavy physical demand. I have poor knee joints and have been putting off trying for a walking profile because I can suck it up enough at 51 years old to still pass the run. But looking at the proposed table I am going to have to try and shave nearly 3 minutes off. What is going to happen to the older, more worn down Soldier? The idea that every level of Soldier within an MOS should have the same performance standards does not match reality. I know in my MOS, older more experienced Soldiers (NCOs) are often in a planning, and guidance role, or managing a TOC or similar control center. This will be interesting
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LTC Self Employed
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It will be a shock to the system. It means well but I think it's going to have to be adjusted some. No offense to the females, but they had to change the APFT and 1981 from the older event because of the merging of the women's Army Corps with the once all male us military. The other standardized the APFT and that's what we've had until recently. I foresee retention suffering. I new a couple of former Brigade commanders who could run the 2-mile in under 14 minutes and max out their push-ups and sit-ups. Before it was maxing in a 300 points or even going an extended scale prior to the year 2000. Now, it will just be passing your test. It seems well and good but I see or foresee a lot of back problems for some people. I know I spoke to a major from tradoc who said it's been thoroughly tested and it's actually safer then the old APFT. Time will tell but in the meantime, I'm going to be doing the best I can on the old system. My biggest problem is the run. I've gained 10 lb and I've run about a minute slower than I used to. The last time I max out my APFT was in 2012. Since then I've varied between 273 and 298..
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SrA John Monette
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the word "COMBAT" is in the name of the test. I take that to mean that the Army sees everyone, from clerks to cooks, as infantry first
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