Leaked slides of Army physical fitness testing results went viral after being posted by an Army-centered Facebook group. The figures show that a stunning 84% of women who’ve taken the new Army Combat Fitness Test have failed, whereas 70% of men have passed.
However, according to Army Times, officials involved in collecting data for the new test claim the slides are not “official documents” from the Center for Initial Military Training.
“US Army W.T.F!” exclaimed Moments. Moments posted the data, maintains that the slides “were used to brief the secretary of the Army and chief of staff,” Army Times reported. The group, founded in 2010, frequently posts Army-related news and entertainment and informs the public about veterans in need.
“[O]ver the last year, the Army has been preparing for the ACFT. Part of the preparation was fielding the proposed events and standards to various units to gauge the events. One of the Army’s premier Corps conducted testing of 11 Battalions, which equaled to 3,206 Soldiers being tested,” the group posted, captioning the figures. “Those 11 Battalions were a mixture of Operational, Operational Support, and Force Sustainment. That meant that the individuals tested had varied backgrounds to include infantry, cavalry, engineers, military intelligence, military police, sustainers, and various others.”
“Of the 3,206 Soldiers tested, 2,849 were males, and 357 were females,” the post explained. “The overall pass rate was 64%, which mean 36% failed the assessment. When we look at it from the male perspective, that equaled to 70% passing and 30% failing. However, females were vastly opposite with 16% passing and 84% failing.”
WTF Nation, over the last year, the Army has been preparing for the ACFT. Part of the preparation was fielding the…
Posted by U.S Army W.T.F! moments on Friday, September 20, 2019
David Brown, writing at ClearanceJobs, outlined the ACFT:
- Strength Dead-Lift (120-420 pounds)
- Standing Power Throw (10-pound medicine ball)
- Hand-Release Push-Ups
- Sprint-Drag-Carry (sprint, drag a sled, and then lateral shuffle then carry two kettle-bells)
- Leg Tuck (hanging from a pull-up bar, bring your knees or thighs to your elbows)
- 2-Mile Run (20 minute max)
“The chart in question is not an official document and wasn’t assessed or aggregated by CIMT (Center for Initial Military Training) to produce official results,” said public affairs director for CIMT Lt. Col. Peggy Kageleiry, according to the Army Times.
Kageleiry noted that CIMT has been in the process of collecting data and feedback on the new test until it becomes the “test of record” on October 1, 2020, said the Army Times.
“It is premature to discuss pass/fail rates as troops are not familiar with or trained for the ACFT,” Kageleiry elaborated in a statement to the outlet. “For many Soldiers, their initial ‘test’ was the first time they had ever executed a fitness test with strength, power or anaerobic exercises pegged against high demand Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills.”
“It is vital to emphasize that the first record ACFT is at least 13-14 months away,” she added. “The Army will use this year to teach, train and mentor troops on how to prepare for the ACFT and therefore prepare for their combat mission. When training is complete and units have adapted to the new test, we expect performance rates to be similar to the current test.”
Viewing the data in question, ClearanceJobs noted that the leg tuck exercise has proven to be the biggest challenge for women taking the test, which Brown deemed “sexist.”
“[T]he real killer for women is the ‘leg tuck’ portion of the ACFT, in which you assume a pull-up position and bring your hips and knees up to your elbows and back down as many times as possible in two minutes,” he explained. “That’s asking an awful lot for a woman who has given birth in the last few months; and allows, basically, for no time to actually train up for the event once her profile expires. Already, women are failing the leg tuck test by 72%.”
“It is no secret that sexism is a problem in the military,” Brown continued. “What this test makes clear is that said sexism knows no bounds, and with the capricious stroke of a pen, those men have found a way to wash an entire gender from the ranks. If 84% of women are failing the test, the problem is not with women soldiers; it’s the test.”