Annual physical fitness testing undergoes changes

  • Published
  • By Kevin Chandler
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  In response to an Air Force Audit Agency study, the Air Force fitness program and testing will undergo adjustments in the coming months. The agency's report, released last December, cited several improvements needed to ensure Airmen are truly "fit to fight." These improvements include centralized annual testing, ensuring Airmen get duty time to exercise and making fitness a year-round pursuit.

Pacific Air Forces has already started to overhaul its fitness program, mandating every base within the command to establish a centralized testing program under the supervision of health and wellness centers. This has effectively taken annual testing duties away from unit physical training leaders to standardize testing measures and increase program integrity. Physical training leaders will still conduct training sessions and remain a key component of the program.

Janet Grund, 97th Air Mobility Wing fitness program manager, said she is waiting to hear if Altus Air Force Base is considering adopting this policy as well. The HAWC already conducts remedial training for those who fail their annual fitness test. 

"We have a Fitness Improvement Program boot camp every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30-8:30 a.m." she explained. "This lets us monitor training closely and adjust it accordingly."

Ms. Grund, with approval from Air Education and Training Command and the 97th Air Mobility Wing legal office, has also implemented a mandatory integrity statement for all unit physical training leaders and fitness program managers. The statement makes entering false test results punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

"This policy deals with the integrity issue brought to light by the report," Ms. Grund said.
A recent Air Force Times article pointed to unfair scoring procedures as the biggest deficiency of the fitness program. Physical training leaders interviewed in the article say the waist measurement should be adjusted to account for height and the scoring on push-ups and sit-ups should be changed. Additionally, some suggest making the test more difficult and more frequent.

These suggestions are reaching senior Air Force leaders. Last month officials met at the Pentagon to discuss potential improvements to the Air Force fitness program.

According to Ms. Grund, the incorporation of fitness test results in enlisted and officer performance reports has made the process a "hot issue."

"This is something that directly impacts people's careers, but with the services available and an improving fitness program, Airmen can stay fit year round and always be ready for whatever is required of them," she said.