The Air Force is no longer requiring airmen to complete a 2-mile run for at least one of their biannual physical fitness tests, and the Space Force is now requiring all guardians to take their service’s fitness test twice a year, under changes announced by the services Tuesday.
The Air Force initially announced in September that airmen would have to complete a 2-mile run at least once a year as part of the service’s new PT test.
Now, airmen have the option to do the High Aerobic Multi-Shuttle Run, or HAMR, as an alternative to the run for both PT tests per year, Air Force officials said on Tuesday. For the HAMR, airmen must repeatedly run between two points 20 meters apart at an increasingly faster pace.
In another change, airmen will now begin taking the new test in July instead of September, according to the Air Force. Physical fitness assessments are currently paused as the service transitions to the new test.
In addition to the 2-mile run or HAMR, the Air Force’s test also involves the following components:
- Muscle strength, which includes pushups or hand-release pushups.
- Muscle core endurance, for which airmen can choose to do sit-ups, cross-leg reverse crunches, or the plank.
- Waist-to-height ratio, which measures the waist circumference of airmen against their height to determine body composition.
“We care about the long-term health of our airmen and that starts with physical fitness,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach said in a statement. “The habits airmen build by working out daily directly impacts their quality of life in and out of uniform. I am confident our commanders will continue to implement a culture of fitness, so our warfighters are healthy and ready.”
Changes coming to the Space Force, too
Also on Tuesday, the Space Force announced that all guardians would have to take the service’s PT test twice a year, including those in the Continuous Fitness Assessment, a voluntary study in which guardians are issued wearable devices to monitor their fitness.
Initially, guardians taking part in that study did not have to take a PT test, but in September, the Space Force told them they would be required to take the service’s test once per year.
Guardians began taking their service’s fitness test this month, which includes the same exercises that airmen are required to complete, but unlike the Air Force, guardians will still be required to complete the 2-mile run for at least one of their PT tests per year. Another difference from the Air Force is the body composition component of the Space Force test is not a scored event.
“This evolution of our standards invests in guardians’ long-term readiness by cultivating the habits of sustained physical conditioning essential for successful performance of our critical missions,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman. “We’re ensuring every Guardian is prepared to thrive and win, reflecting our commitment to the force’s total well-being and our collective mission success.”
