ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

The Association of the U.S. Army is releasing four new podcasts in May on topics ranging from owning your own business to deterring Russian aggression to financial fitness for Army families.

First up in the “Army Matters” series is an episode focused on veteran-owned businesses. 

Changes to the Army Combat Fitness Test will make the Army better, the service’s top general said. 

“The way I look at the ACFT, this is going to improve the Army,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said during a recent event hosted by the Project for Media and National Security. “What we do not want to do is disenfranchise anybody. If you just do the six events, you’ll be in shape. It is a much better training event than we had before.” 

An independent review of the Army Combat Fitness Test found the Army needed more evidence to prove that the test’s six events adequately predict performance on combat tasks.

The report by Rand Corp. also showed that women and other groups, including Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers, were passing the gender-neutral test at “significantly lower rates.”

A revised Army Combat Fitness Test, with new scoring scales and without the leg tuck event, will become the service’s official test of record beginning Oct. 1.

The March 23 announcement by the Army follows an independent review of the test by Rand Corp. and a three-year evaluation period with soldier feedback. Soldiers will start taking diagnostic tests of the revised ACFT beginning April 1, and Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve soldiers will be required to take a record ACFT beginning Oct. 1, the Army said.

A panel of senior Army leaders will discuss the importance of holistic health and fitness to the force during an upcoming Association of the U.S. Army webinar.

The Thought Leaders event will begin at 2 p.m. Eastern July 21. It is free, but registration is required here.

The latest version of the Army Combat Fitness Test will make its official debut with two major updates in the coming weeks, according to senior Army leaders. 

On April 1, the Army will introduce a new performance tier program for the ACFT, and the plank, previously a temporary alternative to the leg tuck event, will become a permanent option.

Soldiers’ health and fitness are part of the Army’s modernization plan, and that includes the Army National Guard, whose top NCO advised soldiers to “start taking care of your body” to be able to meet the rigors of service.

“When I ask soldiers about modernization, the first thing they want to talk about is equipment and facilities,” Command Sgt. Maj. John Sampa, the Army National Guard command sergeant major, said Dec. 2 during The AUSA Noon Report, a webinar series hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army.