The Pentagon is ditching the practice of requiring all members to meet physical fitness and body-composition (PF/BC) standards. Instead, the individual services would be charged with establishing such programs in a manner that would both meet mission requirements and require good health and fitness.
“All service members will maintain physical readiness by possessing the necessary body composition and aerobic and anaerobic fitness (which includes, at a minimum, components of cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, and muscular endurance) to successfully perform … service-specific requirements, missions, and military specialties,” the directive, issued March 10 by the Defense Department’s personnel and readiness office, stated.
All PF/BC protocols would be based on scientifically justified standards that also focus on eliminating tobacco use and reducing injury. Tests would focus on demands proffered by specific military specialties, with consideration towards factors such as age and gender. Service members would be tested for PF/BC no longer than once every 18 months. Anyone who cannot pass the tests would still be subject to adverse fitness reports, and possible administrative separation.
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