Close combat soldiers must meet higher minimum standards.
The new National Defense Authorization Act will require soldiers in close combat forces to meet higher minimum fitness standards for the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) compared to their non-close combat counterparts. The new bill mandates the Army to increase these standards within 18 months of the bill’s enactment.
The categories affected include infantry, engineer, armor, cavalry, and Special Forces soldiers, who will be required to meet higher fitness standards than the rest of the Army. This bill also removes previous efforts to reinstate the Army Physical Fitness Test as the test of record and creates a gender-neutral test.
The bill states, “Not later than 365 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the secretary of the Army provide a briefing to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives describing the methodology used to establish standards.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Army Secretary Christine Wormuth as she institutes the requirement for higher fitness standards for close combat soldiers.
- For members of the House and Senate Armed Service Committees as they investigate military procedures.
Sources: Military Times, Stars and Stripes
