I trained PFT for the military, the last 12 years of my career with the army and miloitary troops for over 29 years.
For the army, it starts with Basic Combat Training fitness tests. These tests have lower minimum performance requirements for female recruits. Women up to age 21 must complete a minimum of 13 push-ups, 47 sit-ups, and run two miles in 19 minutes and 42 seconds or less. Older women have slightly lower minimum requirements. The sit-up and running requirements are “similar to those for men,” but the push-up requirements are less than half what a male soldier would be expected to do. Upper body strength problems.
For the past stationed Army Physical Fitness Test, male soldiers between 17 and 21 years old must complete 71 pushups within two minutes, run two miles in 13 minutes, and complete 78 situps to get perfect scores. Female soldiers in the same age range must do 42 pushups, complete the two-mile run in 15 minutes and 36 seconds, and also do 78 modified sit ups to get full credit on each event.
The new standards that went into effect in October of last year are different in many ways. But the same situation still exists. Even though the PFT was originally based for fitness the new one is based for job skills not combat. So the requirements of an admin troop and that of a field comm unit troop will be different. But it is still gender based and now doesn’t take into effect that an admin troop will not be any good in the field in combat…no matter which gender and especially females since they are twice reeled in from heavier needs.
Current Army Physical Fitness Test New Army Combat Fitness Test (October 2020)
Number of Events 6
Events Pushups, sit-ups, two-mile run Strength deadlift, standing power throw, hand-release, pushup, sprint/drag/carry, leg truck, two-mile run
Standards - Based on age and gender, Based on job and unit
Maximum time to complete - 2 hours, 50 minutes
Minimum score to pass 180 (60 on each test)
Based on physical requirements of job.
It’s gone from bad to worse.
Wy69
I see the Navy PRT test was updated this year - and a 17 to 19 yr old female is equivalent to a 35-39 yr old male on the run.
Are they implying an old man (Navy-wise) is better than a female teenager? By the time I was 39 in the Navy, I had four different ships, six deployments and nine PCS moves.