FORT CAMPBELL, KY – The U.S. Army announced in a news release the immediate 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.

This new test will not replace the current Army Fitness Test. Combat specialty soldiers in the Regular Army and Reserve Component on active-duty orders for 365 days or more will be required to pass one of each test annually starting in April of 2026, which may include Fort Campbell soldiers.

According to the news release, the CFT is now required annually for active-duty soldiers serving in 24 designated combat military occupational specialties. All other Reserve Component Soldiers in combat specialties will take one fitness test per calendar year, alternating between the AFT and CFT.

Requirements of CFT

The CFT is a seven-event sequence conducted continuously and scored on total time. 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. 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.

“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 AFT was implemented on June 1, 2025, replacing the previous Army Combat Fitness Test. It included repetition deadlift, hand release push-ups, sprint-drag-carry, plank and a two-mile run.

The purpose of the CFT is to establish a single, mission-based standard aligned to the demands of combat to ensure readiness and lethality. The U.S. Army says all Soldiers in designated combat roles must meet the same passing criteria, regardless of age or sex.

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