Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stepanek said Monday that a memo circulated on social media purporting to describe a new hardcore physical fitness test for Air Force physical fitness policy was untrue.
An undated memo was posted on an unofficial bulletin board last weekend. reddit and Facebook page. The report claimed that soldiers who score 90 or higher on the Air Force’s new PT test would only have to take the test once a year and could opt out of running a two-mile run. It also reportedly includes details on new “combat readiness tests”.
But Stepanek said Monday the memo was not an official Air Force document.
‘Combat’ fitness test mandated by Hegseth
The combat readiness test described in the memo is a functional fitness style test and appears to be aimed at meeting requirements laid out by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who addressed generals in Quantico, Virginia, on September 30. In that speech, Hegseth announced: Filed in follow-up notes — A multi-level fitness system applicable to the entire military.
Units in combat arms, such as pararescue and combat control in the Air Force, along with traditional infantry roles in the Army and Marine Corps, undergo combat field testing annually. All other active-duty units will take one service fitness test, such as traditional running and calisthenics, and then also take a new combat readiness test consisting of ‘functional fitness’ events such as weight lifting and buddy carrying while in full combat uniform.
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According to Hegseth’s memo, each service designs its own readiness and traditional tests and gives the option to use traditional physical fitness tests instead of combat-focused tests.
“These tests will look familiar,” Hegseth told Quantico. “They will be similar Army Expert Physical Fitness Assessmentor marine corps combat fitness test.”
The combat readiness test described in the memo requires airmen to lift a 40-pound kettlebell multiple times. Moves piles weighing up to 180 pounds up to 50 feet. pull-ups; Carry two 30-pound cartridges 50 feet and then place them both on a 4-foot platform.
For combat arms units, the memo notes that Pentagon officials are “evaluating the feasibility” of joint combat field testing that would become the standard for all combat arms roles across the military.
Authorities: “The memo is not real”
Stefanek told Task & Purpose that the Air Force’s latest physical fitness testing update is as follows: Announced on September 24th We would like to inform you of changes to PT testing in our service.
The announcement confirmed that Airmen will be required to run 2 miles as part of the new fitness test, which is an increase from the 1.5-mile timed run that Airmen must currently complete for the fitness test. Additionally, the Air Force requires new PT exams to be administered twice a year.
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Airmen can choose an alternative exercise for the cardiorespiratory component of the PT test, but are still required to complete a two-mile run at least once a year.
The Air Force will pause all physical fitness tests starting Jan. 1, beginning a transition to a new test starting March 1 next year. Commanders can now order their units to conduct mass testing during the annual testing cycle, which runs from September to March.
Information about the source of the exposed memo was not immediately available Monday. The document appears to have been signed by Gwendolyn DeFilippi, the Air Force’s principal deputy secretary for manpower and reserves. The headers and signature, along with most of the content format, match other notes sent and signed by DeFilippi, except that there is no date at the top of the published document.
Reddit users told Task & Purpose that they shared DeFilippi’s document on an unofficial Air Force subreddit page after seeing it posted on Facebook. The user deleted the post after being notified by the Air Force that it was not genuine.
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