WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army today announced the implementation of the new Combat Field Test (CFT), a major update to its physical readiness program designed to align fitness standards with the demanding realities of modern combat.
Implementation will begin in April 2026. The CFT is required annually for active-duty Soldiers serving in 24 designated combat military occupational specialties.
“The Combat Field Test is 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,” said the Secretary of the Army Hon. Dan Driscoll. “This is about readiness, lethality, and the well-being of our Soldiers.”
The CFT does not replace the Army Fitness Test. Combat specialty Soldiers in the Regular Army and Reserve Component on active-duty orders will be required to pass one of each test annually. All other Reserve Component Soldiers in combat specialties will take one fitness test per calendar year, alternating between the AFT and CFT.
The CFT is a seven-event sequence conducted continuously and scored on total time. Events include:
A one-mile run.
30 dead-stop push-ups.
A 100-meter sprint.
16 lifts of a 40-pound sandbag onto a 65-inch platform.
A 50-meter carry of two five-gallon Army water cans weighing 40 pounds each.
A 50-meter movement drill consisting of a 25-meter high crawl and a 25-meter 3-5 second rush.
A final one-mile run.
Soldiers must complete the test in 30 minutes or less while wearing the Army Combat Uniform, combat boots and a brown T-shirt, with no cover.
“This isn’t just about passing a test; it’s a direct measure of our commitment to readiness and ensuring our warfighters can dominate in any environment,” said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer. “We’re asking more of our combat arms Soldiers, and this test validates their ability to meet that high standard.”
To allow time for adaptation, no adverse administrative actions will be taken for failing the CFT during an initial 365-day diagnostic period for Regular Army and active-duty Reserve Component Soldiers, and a 730-day period for all other Reserve Component Soldiers. During this phase, Soldiers may request voluntary reclassification to a non-combat specialty if they determine they cannot meet the standard, allowing the Army to retain valuable talent.
The CFT establishes a single, mission-based standard aligned to the demands of combat to ensure readiness and lethality. All Soldiers in designated combat roles must meet the same passing criteria, regardless of age or sex.
The Army will provide support to Soldiers preparing for the CFT through command-led physical training programs, Holistic Health and Fitness resources, and a dedicated CFT microsite with additional guidance. For more information on the Combat Field Test, visit the Army Fitness Test website.
Via US Army Public Affairs
The new Combat Field Test (CFT) announced by the United States Army is a major step toward modernizing military fitness standards. Unlike traditional assessments, the CFT emphasizes real-world combat tasks like loaded movement, strength under fatigue and functional endurance.
This shift reflects a broader trend in military training, prioritizing battlefield performance over generic fitness benchmarks. If implemented effectively, it could significantly improve soldier readiness and reduce the gap between training and operational demands.
It will be interesting to see how data from the rollout phase shapes future updates, especially around injury prevention and role-specific standards.
Once again, 68W combat medics who frequently carry an even heavier load than an 11B rifleman, 25C RTOs who (at least by MTOE) would also be humping alongside 11Bs in direct combat operations, and 92Ys who would be conducting heavy physical tasks in the company and battalion trains aren’t included in this “combat arms” requirement. The list of “combat forces” also ignores the many 17-, 25-, 35-, 37-, and 38-series MOSs that the Army categorizes as “ground forces”–not Signal & Intelligence, not Support & Logistics–on its own MOS website (https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-jobs?position_type=Enlisted&category=signal-intelligence,ground-forces). Those branches seem pretty happy to consider themselves “combat arms” until it comes to doing the hard combat arms stuff.