The U.S. Army has announced a new Combat Field Test aimed at tightening physical readiness standards for Soldiers in designated combat specialties. The service said the test will begin in April 2026 and is designed to better match training and assessment with the demands of modern combat.
The new test will be required every year for active-duty Soldiers in 24 combat military occupational specialties. Army leaders said the move is meant to sharpen lethality while giving commanders a clearer measure of whether Soldiers can handle physically demanding missions.
A shift toward combat-specific readiness
Secretary of the Army Hon. Dan Driscoll said the test marks “a critical step forward” in making sure Soldiers in the most demanding specialties have the fitness needed for the battlefield. He added that the effort focuses on readiness, lethality and Soldier well-being.
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer said the Army is asking more of combat arms Soldiers and wants a test that validates their ability to meet a higher standard. The Army said the new event is built to reflect combat tasks more directly than a general fitness measure alone.
How the new test works
The Combat Field Test does not replace the Army Fitness Test. Soldiers in the Regular Army and Reserve Component on active-duty orders for 365 days or more will need to pass both tests each year.
Other Reserve Component Soldiers in combat specialties will take one fitness test per calendar year, alternating between the Army Fitness Test and the Combat Field Test. The Army said this approach keeps a broader fitness baseline in place while adding a tougher mission-based assessment for combat roles.
The test is a continuous seven-event sequence scored by total time. It includes 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 with a 25-meter high crawl and a 25-meter 3- to 5-second rush, and a final one-mile run.
Uniform, timing, and grading standards
Soldiers must complete the test in 30 minutes or less. They will wear the Army Combat Uniform, combat boots and a brown T-shirt, with no cover.
The Army said the new standard uses one passing criterion for all Soldiers in designated combat roles, regardless of age or sex. That single standard is meant to support consistency across the force and align the event with the physical demands of combat duties.
Adjustment period for Soldiers
To give Soldiers time to adapt, the Army said no adverse administrative actions will be taken for failing the Combat Field Test during an initial 365-day diagnostic period. During that time, Soldiers may request voluntary reclassification to a non-combat specialty if they decide they cannot meet the standard.
The service said the option is intended to help retain talent while still preserving the higher benchmark for combat positions. Army leaders also said the policy gives units time to prepare Soldiers before the test becomes fully enforced.
Support for training and preparation
The Army said it will support Soldiers through command-led physical training programs and Holistic Health and Fitness resources. A dedicated Combat Field Test microsite will also provide additional guidance for Soldiers and leaders preparing for the event.
The Army has already shown elements of the test in trial runs at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., where Soldiers performed events such as the sandbag lift, water cans carry, one-mile runs, dead-stop push-ups, and movement drills. The training images released with the announcement reflect the Army’s goal of tying assessment more closely to combat-style exertion and endurance.