The US army unveiled a fitness test that is a combat ready makeover upgrading the 30 year old physical fitness requirement of sit-ups, push-ups and a 3.5 km. run twice a year.
Soon each soldier will have to run on a balance beam with two 30 lbs. (13.6 kilograms) canisters of ammunition, drag a sled weighted with 180 lbs. (81.8 kilograms) sandbags and vaults over obstacles while carrying a rifle.
According to Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, in charge of the Army’s initial military training that the present fitness test ‘does not adequately measure components of strength, endurance, or mobility,’ or predict how well a soldier would do underfire.
Soldiers who ran the proposed ‘combat readiness’ portion of the test has told that the exercises were tough, even for combat veterans.
Hertling said, that trials of the new program to start this month at 8 bases and plan to adopt army wide after its review this year.
