US Army Unveils New Combat Field Test for Speciality Soldiers
The United States Army has announced a significant update to its physical fitness requirements for combat soldiers serving in speciality occupations. Active-duty personnel in 24 specific combat roles, including special forces and artillery officers, will now be required to pass a new combat field test annually. This directive comes as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's broader initiative to return combat speciality service members to what he describes as "the highest male standard."
Test Requirements and Consequences
The new combat field test consists of seven consecutive events that must be completed within 30 minutes without rest. The sequence includes:
- A one-mile run
- 30 dead-stop pushups
- 100-meter sprint
- 16 lifts of a 40-pound sandbag onto a 65-inch platform
- 50-meter carry of two 5-gallon Army water cans, each weighing 40 pounds
- 50-meter movement drill comprising a 25-meter high crawl followed by a 25-meter 3-5 second rush
- Another one-mile run
Soldiers who fail the test will be enrolled in reconditioning training and given 90 days to pass. A second failure may result in involuntary separation from the Army or reclassification to a noncombat position. The Army is providing a one-year grace period before taking adverse administrative action, and soldiers can voluntarily request reclassification within that timeframe.
Separate from Existing Fitness Standards
It is important to note that this new combat field test is separate from and does not replace the Army's existing Fitness Test. Active-duty combat speciality soldiers will be required to pass both assessments each year. National Guard and part-time Army Reserve soldiers will need to pass one of the two tests annually, with the tests alternating.
Hegseth's Broader Military Agenda
Since assuming leadership of the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth has implemented several aggressive measures aimed at reshaping the military's image. These include stricter grooming standards and higher physical fitness requirements. In a speech to the US Army War College, Hegseth emphasized, "Our troops need to be fit - not fat," and later told military officials, "Frankly, it's tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. Likewise, it's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon."
Controversy Over Gender Standards
Hegseth's policies have sparked controversy, particularly regarding gender equality in combat roles. Last year, he ordered the Army to implement a "sex-neutral and age-normed" physical fitness test, insisting that women service members meet the same standards as men. However, Hegseth has a history of making negative remarks about women in combat, stating in his book, The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free, that women "cannot physically meet the same standards as men." During a November 2024 podcast, he admitted, "I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasn't made us more effective. Hasn't made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated."
Women combat veterans have strongly contested these claims, asserting that they are already required to meet the same standards as their male counterparts. Despite the controversy, the Army is proceeding with the new test, which Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll described as a "critical step forward in ensuring our Soldiers serving in the most physically demanding specialties have the specific fitness required to dominate on the modern battlefield."
