Army rolls out new fitness test only for ‘combat arms’ soldiers like infantry, armor

If you want to be an infantry soldier in the Army, you’ll be required to heft a 40-pound sandbag onto a 65-inch-high platform 16 times, and carry two five-gallon water cans weighing 40 pounds each for 50 meters.

But that’s not all.

The Army’s new Combat Field Test, announced on Wednesday, also will feature two separate one-mile runs, a 100-meter sprint, 30 dead-stop pushups, and a 50-meter movement drill with the soldier switching between crawling along the ground and rushing forward.

There’s more.

Combat arms soldiers in units like infantry, armor, and field artillery must finish the test in 30 minutes or less while wearing Army camouflage, combat boots, and a brown T-shirt.

“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,” Army Sgt. Maj. Michael Weimer said Wednesday. “We’re asking more of our combat arms soldiers, and this test validates their ability to meet that high standard.”

The new CFT isn’t replacing the Army’s current physical fitness test. Combat arms soldiers will be required to pass each test every year, officials said.

“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 Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. “This is about readiness, lethality, and the well-being of our soldiers.”

The CFT establishes what Pentagon officials described as a single, mission-based standard aligned to combat operations to ensure readiness and lethality.

“All soldiers in designated combat roles must meet the same passing criteria, regardless of age or sex,” Defense Department officials said in a statement.

The first year of the CFT will be diagnostic, and no adverse administrative actions will be taken for failing the test. Soldiers can request a transfer to a non-combat career field if they determine they cannot meet the new standard, officials said.