Soldiers assigned to 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, complete hand-release pushups during an Army Combat Fitness Test at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, April 21, 2022. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Mary Katzenberger). The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
By: FEDweek StaffSoldiers will have to undergo only one tape-measure test during body-composition assessments – at the belly button. Gone are the measurements at both the belly and neck. While the change would appear at first glance to be a relaxation of standards, service officials say otherwise.
“For years, we have been committed to reducing body fat across the force. It’s one of the driving factors in supporting the holistic health and fitness program, as well as one of the reasons to request a study on the Army Body Composition Program [ABCP],” said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston.
The change to the single tape-measure assessment came after results of a related study by the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine were reviewed. Researchers had determined that the old test allowed for a few otherwise unfit soldiers to pass, while some fit soldiers would fail.
“As we got feedback from the study, we found there were ways to modernize the ABCP and better uphold the standards established in the regulations. As we implement these policies, performance on the [test] will increase while body fat decreases at a scale never before seen in our Army.”
Army National Guard and Reserve soldiers will also be assessed with the one-site tape test.
Soldiers who do not pass the test will directed to exercise and diet programs aimed at bringing them up to standard.
Failure to pass a test still could result in flagging a soldier’s service record, which could adversely affect their career. Soldiers who do fail can request any of three other more scientific assessments if they are available. Simply: one uses x-ray technology; another calculates body fat, muscle and water; the third involves a calculation of a fatty mass-to-lean ratio.
What will not change, officials say, is the service’s commitment to weight loss.
“The overall focus of the program is to have an effective and accurate assessment of the holistic health and fitness of the force, while at the same time providing soldiers with the resources they need to improve and preserve individual and unit readiness,” said Sgt. Maj. Christopher P. Stevens, Army G-1 sergeant major.
WH Asks Supreme Court to Remove Barrier to ‘Dozens’ of RIFs; Union Faults ‘Breakneck’ Pace
High Court Ruling Could Ease Reverse Discrimination Complaints by Federal Employees
The Rules for Getting Both Military Retired Pay and a Federal Annuity
Credit for Military Service for Federal Retirement Annuities
Did you Get Social Security Credit for Military Service?
