Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test
Monday August 11, 2008
The Commandant of the Marine Corps has announced the addition of a Combat Fitness Test (CFT) to the current Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test. The CFT will consist of three individual tasks: Movement to Contact (MTC), Ammunition Lift (AL), and Maneuver Under Fire (MANUF).
Active duty Marines will be required to pass the test semi-annually, while Reserve Marines are required to complete the test once per year. The new test will be phased in starting on October 1, 2008, and be fully implemented by September 30, 2009.
Active duty Marines will be required to pass the test semi-annually, while Reserve Marines are required to complete the test once per year. The new test will be phased in starting on October 1, 2008, and be fully implemented by September 30, 2009.
Comments
This sounds like it may mimic the Army’s Physical Combat Proficiency Test (PCPT), precursor to the current Army Physical Fitness Test APFT). While the PCPT, of 60s vintage, included such “field-relevant” activities as pitching grenades (of inert flavor), low crawling, agility runs, and the ever-popular one-mile run on a tank trail-type track, today’s “New Army” APFT is essentialy an extension of high school gym class. Inasmuch as the physical training uniform consisted of the normal duty uniform (fatigues), repleat with boots of choice (jungle, or standard issue), and, at the discretion of the NCOIC, shirt/blouse, white undershirt, or (remember, back then, it was “This Mans’ Army”) skins, today’s “gym suite”, is much like the one worn in the H.S. arena. However, the sad part of the story is the fact that large numbers of today’s “yout” (that’s youth!), regardless of uniform, cannot even meet the standards. Sorry Marines…I know, the Army’s max is your min!
The Sarge
Actually, this sounds like revival of the Physical Readiness test (PRT) and the Combat Conditioning Course (CCC) of the late 80’s. Al Grey’s bright idea of making the Marine Corps harder. Another example of the more things change, the more they don’t. When the next Commandant comes around, if he doesn’t care for this, it’ll go away!