What's to read that combats the posters premise that this is a lowering of standards?
“It will reduce attrition and it will reduce musculoskeletal injuries and actually save, in the long run, the Army a heck of a lot of money.”
What kind of rationale is that? One of the objectives of basic is to weed out those who would likely fail in combat. If reducing attrition and musculoskeletal injuries and saving $ is the goal then why not just reduce more activities that one may need to do in actual combat?
From https://www.stripes.com/news/army-unveils-new-six-event-physical-fitness-test-to-help-ready-troops-for-combat-1.536807
Strength deadlift: Soldiers will perform three repetitions of deadlift at the heaviest weight they are capable of between 120 and 420 pounds. The deadlift replicates picking up heavy equipment or a wounded comrade in combat..”
Meaning a minimum of 120lbs must be lifted? Which (not at least) a 5'5'' 130lbs soldier ought to be able to do. "Weights will be increased" likely means to see how much more one can, but not need to, lift. But if they want to reduce attrition and musculoskeletal injuries then I suspect this will be reduced.
“Soldiers will throw a 10-pound medicine ball backward as far as they can."
"A 10-pound ball backward," that is basically the weight of a gallon of water, and backwards is easier. However, it does not mention how far one may need to throw this in order to pass.
Hand-release push-up: Soldiers will perform as many hand-release push-ups as possible in two minutes. In a hand-release push-up, soldiers lift their hands and arms from the ground at the bottom of the push-up.”
Which does not say how many one must do in two min. or else fail.
Sprint, drag, carry: Soldiers will twice sprint up and down a 25-meter lane, drag a 90-pound sled up and down the lane, and carry two 40-pound kettlebell weights up and down the lane
Dragging a 90-pound sled shoulkd not bne hard for one who can lift a 120lbs. And likekly the skids can be "greased" to "reduce attrition rates.
Leg tuck: Hanging from a pull-up bar, soldiers will lift their legs up and down touching their knees or thighs to their elbows as many times as possible during two minutes. The exercise strengthens core muscles, requiring more strength than traditional sit-ups
Sounds tough, but "as many times as possible" does not say they must do it more than once.
Two-mile run: Soldiers will complete the test with a two-mile run, as they must in the APFT. However, Frost said, soldiers will have only five minutes of rest between the leg tuck and the run, which will likely slow their times by 45 seconds to two minutes compared to the current test.
A two-mile run over what time period?
The new fitness test will be designed to be gender and age neutral, Frost said. That does not mean every soldier in the Army will be required to achieve the same base scores, however. =..To command at any level, leaders will have to pass the ACFT standards set for their unit or job.
But the test itself still needs some tweaking, Frost said Monday at the Pentagon.
- https://www.stripes.com/news/army-unveils-new-six-event-physical-fitness-test-to-help-ready-troops-for-combat-1.536807
Sounds like increasing dead weight to meet numerical goals, numbers over quality. Like so many churches (and i need to be in better spiritual shape).