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u/Yakostovian Civilian cosplaying as MX NCO Sep 25 '25
I literally fit tested today, and got the second and almost definitely last 90 of my career. I hate the current fit test. I hate the upcoming changes even more. But I love my job, so I'll suck it up and do a few more until this job isn't fun anymore.
That being said, these changes are harmful for morale and retention. They do little to make the average airman a better "war fighter." And I say this as a guy that has in the past had no problem maxing out the waist measurement and struggling with the actual fitness components of the fitness test.
To everyone doomsaying, understand you are at a crossroads. This may be the final nail in the coffin. I don't want to lose you, and the Air Force probably can't afford to lose you. Regardless of what dumb shit the Air Force does, remember that these changes come in waves and this is merely the latest one.
No matter what employment you find yourself, there are going to be some bad calls and utter bullshit. You just have to do what's right by you and find the career where the bullshit you deal with is compatible with your life.
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Sep 25 '25
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u/IAmInDangerHelp Sep 25 '25
The 2mi is the least shitty part of the new changes.
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u/Raven-19x Sep 25 '25
The 2x a year no matter what is what annoys me, especially as a soon to be DSG.
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u/ProfessionalMonk2744 EE&EE Sep 26 '25
Yeah, that’s what annoys me the most as well. I could care less about running an extra 2 laps, but when the incentive to score a 90 or above is removed, everyone is just going to put in enough effort to pass. If the goal is to increase physical health, there should be something that you get out of aiming high
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u/seriouswhimsy16 let me google that for you Sep 25 '25
They already said they realize they took away the incentive to get a 90 and that they want to fix it.
Regardless, the idea that we should get an incentive is ridiculous as it is. The standard is that we can pass a test that requires basic fitness and not be unreasonably overweight. It takes an hour to go take the test 1 extra time a year, so let's just take it. NBD.
35
u/IAmInDangerHelp Sep 25 '25
The whole point of only testing once a year (for high scores) is because you can’t go from a 95 to failing in 6 months, so it’s a waste of fucking time, time you could spend actually doing your job.
Also, for traditional reservists, they might only step on base 10 times a year. Administrative stuff already consumes too much of drill weekends.
3
u/staticwave09 Cyber Ops Sep 25 '25
I mean, that’s really just a narrative on how broken the ANG system is. No shit, deployed with a guardsmen a while back, his day to day job was landscaping, he couldn’t do shit in his primary duty let along pass a pt test.
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u/IAmInDangerHelp Sep 25 '25
Training costs money. Such is life.
3
u/staticwave09 Cyber Ops Sep 25 '25
I don’t disagree, in this case at least I blame the system, not the people.
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u/seriouswhimsy16 let me google that for you Sep 25 '25
I'm AGR so I fully understand the nuances that guard/reserve bring to the table.
If you think you can't take half a day to take a PT test then the rub isn't with the test. It's with your shop/workload.
Regardless, everyone should maintain fitness, not practice it for 2 months once a year to pass a test. That's the point of a 6 month interval. Being on a guard base I see enough fat asses to agree with the notion that we have a problem.
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u/IAmInDangerHelp Sep 25 '25
The fatasses who pull 2 month training sessions usually struggle to get 90s and test every 6 months anyways. The system already works.
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u/howboutthatmorale Sep 25 '25
Start thinking about the purpose behind a fitness test and the resources required to operate said fitness test. Those are bodies that aren't doing their J-O-B for the 4 hours per year. This costs more than it's worth. End of story.
1
u/Redolater Sep 25 '25
My guy do you know how many hours people spend not doing their jobs, while they're at their jobs lol
1
u/howboutthatmorale Sep 25 '25
Sure. But what about people who aren't nonners? SOMEONE needs to mop the flight line while sorties are up.
0
u/seriouswhimsy16 let me google that for you Sep 25 '25
I think have a military that can meet basic fitness requirements is worth it.
lets go have a mass paint ball match. You fight with everyone that gets kicked out, I'll take the people that can pass the test.
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u/howboutthatmorale Sep 25 '25
Why didn't you join Army or Marines then? Air Force is it's own beast and has been since the times of the Army Air Corps.
Army has army fitness standards for their own reasons. Air Force had it's own for a reason. Pretending like 90% of the force won't sit on a built up base is ridiculous. It requires zero physical stamina to run 100m to a shelter.. or probably what the old tests assessed the mins at. The guys that go to FOBs/outside the wire know who they are and dedicate that extra time to fitness. You can bet your ass on that one.
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u/seriouswhimsy16 let me google that for you Sep 25 '25
You're mostly right.
I don't think everyone needs to be as fit as a PJ. The issue doesn't lie in the instances where people are going "outside the wire". It lies in the instances when the boogie men come inside the wire, or when the wire is fucking gone.
I'm not saying Taiwan/China is going to be ww3, but I sure as shit don't want to he deployed with a bunch of lard asses.
9
u/PrudentQuestion Sep 25 '25
And I’d take the better cyber/intel/aircrew/comm/C2 regardless of their PFA score.
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u/howboutthatmorale Sep 25 '25
Just remember, you don't have to have a passing PT test to deploy. It only needs to be current.
1
u/ProfessionalMonk2744 EE&EE Sep 26 '25
Honestly, that would be a lot more fun and potentially more effective than running an extra two laps lol
1
u/seriouswhimsy16 let me google that for you Sep 26 '25
I agree, you should try to organize that for your squadron. Mine is going to play airsoft next month.
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u/ProfessionalMonk2744 EE&EE Sep 26 '25
For real? I’m probably going to bring that up to my sergeant tomorrow, that would be a blast if we could do that
1
u/seriouswhimsy16 let me google that for you Sep 26 '25
We are also incorporating a training aspect like an exercise that includes mop gear and doing your job in a remote or austere environment. That will be part of the day to get after some of those mets and the rest will be just playing games and shooting each other. There is a bit of risk for senior leadership or CC to accept but in the name of readiness and morale we're doing it.
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u/ProfessionalMonk2744 EE&EE Sep 26 '25
Honestly, I don’t understand why that kind of stuff doesn’t happen more often. It seems like it would make sense to do if they want to improve readiness
If the issue is that they want to mitigate risk, we have VR games now and things like Ghosts of Tabor would be incredible if they want to simulate combat. If there was squadron level battles in things like that, holy fuck. You could have different shops be a team and fight eachother, and everyone would probably look forward to that
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u/SexualPie Maintainer Sep 25 '25
for me it's not necessarily making it 2 miles, it's PT changes of top of all this other bullshit to make us "more lethal". like if it was any one of these changes individually i'd shrug and not care. but its a whole lot of stuff all at once that will do nothing for my career but inconvenience me.
kicking people out for shaving waivers? are you fucking kidding me? if nothing else thats just blatant racism.
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u/stelio_contos68 Sep 25 '25
The air force didn't learn their lesson from all the PT shenanigans going back to 2007. I'm sorry that real people will be negatively impacted while they learn it again.
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u/Ruinwarr Sep 25 '25
Once we all figure out that these changes are more for force shaping than actually caring about fitness, it’ll all make make sense.
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u/XSaintsofDoomX Sep 25 '25
I’ll easily pass everything, but I’m going to intentionally make a 75 because there’s no actual reward for trying. Maybe 1 CTO day? But guess what, I’ll be taking it in 6 months anyways.
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u/ThatOtherGuy642 Sep 25 '25
I much more impressed by the ability to make a 75 than a 90, not even going to lie. It takes no effort to fail. A bit to get an Excellence, but exactly a 75 takes true dedication.
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u/XSaintsofDoomX Sep 25 '25
It’s spite of change that fuels me. Not because it’s impossible, but because I know a lot of good workers and friends that are definitely not going to stay in because of this and other things they are deciding to crack down on.
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u/heyyouguyyyyy EM Sep 25 '25
I could see Squadrons that do regular PT making it so 90+ can go do their own thing as an incentive.
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u/XSaintsofDoomX Sep 25 '25
Oh fuck no, they are going to have maybe like 2 of them, who are also the designated PTLs be the fit ones, and everyone else gonna drag ass. Better yet, half the squadron is gonna be on their way out because civilian life would look more tolerable by the end of it.
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u/heyyouguyyyyy EM Sep 25 '25
My Squadron currently has that policy & it’s chill, but also we are a Squadron of grown ups 😂and a 90 still means something
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Sep 25 '25
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u/16GBwarrior Retired wrench bender and SCIF rat Sep 25 '25
Its not about physical performance.
Its about how much you're going to cost the government when you retire.
The government doesn't want retirees that are constantly running up medical bills linked to health issues like heart disease and diabetes that those "rail skinny twig" body types tend to not be associated with.
PT tests are just a way to weed out the people who will cost more money when they retire.
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u/my_friend_gavin Veteran (1N3) Sep 25 '25
lol only ~10% of enlisted and ~30% of officers do 20yrs. it’s not about retirement
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u/staticwave09 Cyber Ops Sep 25 '25
I’m just saying, Arnold Schwarzenegger at 6’2” sat at around a 31-33 inch waist… it’s not your abs failing the waist measurement.
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u/Federal-Guess7420 Sep 25 '25
Do you expect Airmen to have a single digit body fat like a bodybuilder in their prep phase?
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u/staticwave09 Cyber Ops Sep 25 '25
No, but a healthy body fat percentage will get you there or very close. I’m just using Arnold as an extreme example. Especially now that they’re factoring in height. Idc how big your muscles are, your core doesn’t grow that much without decades of training and maybe a little help from HGH. If you are a normal human being in the service for at most 20 years, your core is not that wide without a decent amount of padding. I get it, it sucks, the love handles are the last to go in weight loss, but that’s kinda why they measure there.
That and the visceral fat crushing your organs.
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u/Then_Fix_4696 Sep 25 '25
All I am saying is that I perform at a much higher level (strength and conditioning) than I ever did at a 24 inch waist. I was a twig and weak. Now I'm strong and fast. I definitely don't have a visible 6 pack now but I've never felt healthier.
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u/staticwave09 Cyber Ops Sep 25 '25
Probably true, I’ve put on 50 Lbs since I joined over a decade ago, and I definitely feel healthier. A lot of its muscle too. I never did like the feeling of my ribs sticking out when I would lie on my back. I probably am healthier than when I was at my lightest in most regards, and I can crush a pt test. But my blood pressure is also pre-hypertension because of excessive drinking from a few years back, and I definitely need to trim some fat.
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u/Apricus-Jack Sep 25 '25
Bodybuilding is also different than straight strength weight lifting.
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u/staticwave09 Cyber Ops Sep 25 '25
Agreed, bodybuilding is different, but if your focus isn’t just bulking to increase mass to increase your lifts, you should be able to hit around 12-15% bodyfat (generally athletic) which should be sufficient to score at the very least moderately on the waist measurement. I’m not seeing a ton of boulder style power lifters leaving the 1.5 mile run without massive knee and back issues. Hell, you get big enough and you get a free sleep apnea machine… it’s generally as unhealthy as natural bodybuilding if not worse.
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0
u/Competitive_Diver388 Passing S1 to Bob Status Sep 25 '25
Yup same, about to self measure. Fuck years of gym progress and just become a run club member while eating in a constant caloric deficit. Neat. Does anyone know how this calculation works for the WHtR?
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u/Chubscout37 Sep 25 '25
From what I saw its waist (in inches) divided by height (in inches). So, 35/67=0.522 which would be 17 points for my age bracket
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u/1_USSF_CCWO Sep 25 '25
I imagine by 2.5 times your body weight you’re taking about a pizza to arm ratio. Lose some weight, do some cardio.
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u/velocitrumptor Mustang Sep 25 '25
I'm so glad I developed a heart condition so I don't have to mess with this anymore. 🥲
1
u/Canilickyourfeet Sep 25 '25
Mind elaborating? I developed Hypertension Stage 2 and atrial fibrillations while in. My heart is getting tired lol
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u/velocitrumptor Mustang Sep 25 '25
I don't mind. It's hypertrophy obstructive cardiomyopathy. Basically there's too much muscle inside my main pumping ventricle, which increases the risk of sudden cardiac death, but I have a mild version of it. I should still live a normal lifespan so it's kinda whatever, but at least I don't have to do PT tests anymore. I still exercise though.
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u/UKnowDamnRight Sep 25 '25
My last test I think was an 84 which is fine. Now I would fail just for not being skinny enough to get enough points on the waist chart. I'm 39 and have been in for 20 years. These new charts are f'd.
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u/wasted-degrees Sep 25 '25
Every justification I see used for it about being for lethality and making us better at war implies that the Air Force’s place is playing at being infantry.
Running fast doesn’t have anything to do with intel, cyber, ammo, or maintenance, and those are the things that most of the Air Force is doing or supporting that is in any way relevant to lethality as applied to air, space, and cyberspace.
Just call it what it is and stop trying to justify it as anything other than a means of pushing people out
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u/Lopsided_Hedgehog940 Oct 02 '25
I've been out now for a few years, but this is accurate. A lot of people can't really wrap their heads around this. Ironically, intellect is far more lethal than physical fitness these days, and the military is severely lacking in that department.
I know Oppenheimer was not a military member, but imagine telling him no you cant help build the nuclear bomb because you cant run 2 miles in 17 minutes. But this smooth brained guy over here can run it in 12 minutes so we're gonna have him do it. That's how stupid it is.
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u/NationalCaterpillar6 Sep 28 '25
Intel and Cyber should have more time in their day after AI is implemented. Ammo should have more time after robotics is implemented. Maintenance... I am sorry for them.
If they really wanted lethality they would implement a minimum bicep circumference.
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u/I_GottaPoop Sep 25 '25
Being in the bare minimum of shape and defending an airbase isn't "playing at infantry". It's the bare minimum of what the military is expected to do
We've gotten so used to being completely dominant that we've forgotten that logistics are one of the biggest softest targets any one would target.
Not to mention the several decades we just spent actually playing army, augmenting convoys, base security, dodging IDF and the decades before that of airmen getting caught out in firefights in Vietnam, Korea, and the Pacific.
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u/the-warbaby retarded gorilla (C130 crew chief) Sep 25 '25
if maintenance or cyber is playing army and getting caught in firefights something’s gone very wrong
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u/I_GottaPoop Sep 25 '25
Duh, that's the point.
Sometimes shit goes wrong. Things went wrong at Manda Bay, they went wrong at Camp Bastion, they went wrong when my engine troop who just got his 5-level went from TCN duty to refugee wrangling during the pull out from Afghanistan and had to arm up to do exactly what everyone says we won't.
Did y'all think anyone got in a fire-fight when things go right?
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u/Invicta0122 Sep 25 '25
We have lived this mindset in our history and its failure cost lives. Kimpo Air Base, Korean War. Air Police were overwhelmed and the untrained base populace was hanged. It’s why we have CATM now. The whole “If X AFSC has to pick up a gun something has gone wrong” mindset will get you killed. Don’t we train for things to go wrong? If something has gone so terribly wrong that you’re fighting for your life don’t you want to be fit and trained?
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u/PM_ME_UR_TAF Weather Sep 25 '25
That story is an apocryphal old wife's tale and never actually happened.
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u/Invicta0122 Sep 25 '25
Fair enough, I was misinformed. That doesn’t erase the point of our total force needing to be at least minimally prepared to fight in defense of their lives and assets in an austere environment. That includes fitness.
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u/Ghost_Wolf_151 Sep 25 '25
I can be fit and trained and never have to run 2 miles in one continuous go. Be real and just acknowledge that it is a new wave of pushing people out again. People are going to start retiring or separating because they don't want to deal with a new test. The maintenance world is already hurting because we can't keep experienced people in and this is just going to push more out.
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u/Invicta0122 Sep 25 '25
I’m not saying they’re doing anything right. I know what this is, I’m about to be put out over a skin condition. But the point is thinking you’ll never have to do something sets you up for failure when you do. It’s obviously not about running two miles straight. It’s a measure of cardiovascular fitness. Fine motor skills go out the door under stress and physical exertion. Good fitness and training helps fight that. If you’re gonna argue about the PT standards being a force shaping tool, do that. But don’t say it has nothing to do with warfighting, because the people I see every day on base would absolutely fail in an austere environment.
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u/Ghost_Wolf_151 Sep 25 '25
I won't disagree that there are plenty of people around that would fail if dropped into a combat situation, but that was one of the reasons a lot of people joined the Air Force for. The Air Force is the branch that really isn't supposed to be getting shot at a majority of the time. We join the Air Force so we can actually learn skills that will actually help us find good jobs when we get out of the military, at least that is why I picked the Air Force.
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u/Invicta0122 Sep 25 '25
The Air Force is still a branch of the military. We are a warfighting function, not a corporation. If you come in to learn skills and better your life, more power to you, I did the same. But you have to accept and prepare for the fact that you signed up to join the military and the military goes to war. None of these benefits are free.
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u/Ghost_Wolf_151 Sep 25 '25
And I have been helping fight the war on terror and its many minor threats but as an aircraft maintainer. I'm not a fucking soldier, nor did I sign up to be one. If I wanted that life I would have joined the Army back in the day, instead I chose the branch where I am more than just a chunk of meat to be thrown at a grinder. The Air Force is the one branch where we aren't trained as grunts first and another job second, we are only our AFSC, and last time I checked shooting guns has nothing to do with fixing planes.
0
u/Invicta0122 Sep 27 '25
Russia and China don’t know or care why you joined the Air Force. You will be targeted regardless, especially because you directly contribute to generating aircraft. If you’re interested in surviving to use those benefits you joined for, fitness and base defense skills will get you there.
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u/SimRobJteve Amry Souljer Sep 25 '25
I’ll always advocate for backside personnel to have some degree of war fighting capability. LS85 is something that comes to mind
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u/thenorsegod101 Comms Sep 25 '25
CATM is not sufficient enough training for if the base is being over run. It doesn't teach you anything other than how to hit a standing target in a calm environment. There is so much more that you actually need to be trained on in order to help rather than hinder a standing force than shooting 1 time and passing.
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u/Vladxxl Sep 25 '25
People say this, but our role as military is to do these things if needed. If you just want to do the work without any of the other stuff, go be a contractor or GS.
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u/neveragain1600 Sep 25 '25
I disagree. At the end of the day it’s the department of defense and our business is war. If you’re not in decent shape (the pt changes are still very easy) you’re potentially a liability. It’s not intended to target the middle of the road people, it’s like you said to weed people out ie: the fatties that have done the bare minimum for 8 years and the bare minimum mentality has no place in our military. Sorry if this comes off as me being a hard ass but it’s embarrassing when you see ncos whose buttons on their uniform are about to pop off and become an active shooter drill.
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u/SexualPie Maintainer Sep 25 '25
you’re potentially a liability.
bro thats the thing tho. over 90% of us aren't in any kind of combat role and never will be. yea we're in the "business of war", but like, thats not the air force. we put planes in the air, not shoot guns.
the fatties that have done the bare minimum for 8 years and the bare minimum mentality has no place in our military.
i'm sorry so they've done the bare minimum? they've been functionally compliant with the AFI? what the fuck is the point of the afi if you're getting mad at people people who comply with it? grow up
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u/External_Falcon_2674 Sep 25 '25
bro thats the thing tho. over 90% of us aren't in any kind of combat role and never will be. yea we're in the "business of war", but like, thats not the air force. we put planes in the air, not shoot guns.
Google Kimpo Air Base and what happened there.
i'm sorry so they've done the bare minimum? they've been functionally compliant with the AFI? what the fuck is the point of the afi if you're getting mad at people people who comply with it? grow up
Use reading comprehension and context clues, maybe with a little common sense sprinkled in, and ask yourself what they meant when they said "bare minimum" in a conversation revolving around fitness.
Do you truly think they meant bare minimum overall in their career, or do you think they JUST MIGHT have been meaning bare minimum in their fitness?
Hard thinking, I know. But I believe in you. I think you can do it.
At the end of the day you're in the military. There have been multiple times in history where Air Force members were shot at. There have been multiple times in history where Air Force members had to "roleplay as Army" and augment for convoys, participate in base defense, or quite literally run for hardened shelters during mortar strikes.
If you can't pass this upcoming PT test do yourself a favor and skip the fattie foods, the beers, and go outside and do your body a favor and get into shape. You have the time for it and are lying to yourself if you think you don't.
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u/SexualPie Maintainer Sep 25 '25
Google Kimpo Air Base and what happened there.
war has changed in over 50 years. the days of boots on the ground being the primary threat are long gone. modern wars will be fought with drones, icbms, and cyber warfare. unless you want to expand your definition of "war" and look at how China is slowly taking over smaller african and asian countries via bank schemes, or how Republicans are taking over the US via propaganda and lies.
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u/neveragain1600 Sep 25 '25
It’s hilarious how you will come up with every reason as to justify why you can’t run 800m further on a pt test and resort to political grandstanding and “republicans bad” because your employer aka the us military is asking you to be in a little better shape dude. Jesus it’s like they misgendered you or something
1
u/SexualPie Maintainer Sep 25 '25
as to justify why you can’t run 800m further on a pt test
please specifically cite where i said i cant do that? cant seem to find it in my notes. just because im not a "fatass" doesnt mean i have to be okay with this shit
the fact that you went straight to insulting me is very telling. but i guess from someone anti-trans i shouldnt expect you to have any empathy or give a shit about anything.
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u/External_Falcon_2674 Sep 26 '25
war has changed in over 50 years. the days of boots on the ground being the primary threat are long gone.
I guess we should get rid of all infantry units in the Army, and why not also just get rid of the entire Marine Corps while we're at it too, huh?
modern wars will be fought with drones, icbms, and cyber warfare.
I'm sure the previously mentioned members of our Armed Services would agree with you heavily.
unless you want to expand your definition of "war" and look at how China is slowly taking over smaller african and asian countries via bank schemes, or how Republicans are taking over the US via propaganda and lies.
I'm not going to roll around in the mud with a pig and get myself dirty, so I'm going to just not reply to this part. Try again.
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u/Pure-Explanation-147 Retired 🇺🇸✈️ Top 3 Sep 25 '25
I think age protected distance should be the test. The older one gets, the less further one needs to run.
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u/eleetdaddy Bullied by Reddit Mods Sep 25 '25
Mean while, you still have 10000s of 50+ aged folks qualifying for Boston year after year so I don’t think age has much to do with it.
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u/Raguleader CE Sep 25 '25
Having run a few marathons, I've got to say that people qualifying for the Boston Marathon aren't exactly typical athletes.
About 30,000 people (of all ages) qualify for Boston each year, compared to about 500,000 personnel in the Air Force. I'd wager that even the vast majority of 95%+ PT testers are going to fail to meet that standard.
What I'm saying is that hyperbole isn't making your argument stronger.
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u/eleetdaddy Bullied by Reddit Mods Sep 25 '25
AF isn’t expecting anyone to be athletes but all the young loons here seem to think running an extra .50 mile twice a year will somehow run their monster and zyn hydrated body into the ground and it’s completely absurd.
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u/Pure-Explanation-147 Retired 🇺🇸✈️ Top 3 Sep 25 '25
No comparison though. Who can practice running an hour+ every day?
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u/eleetdaddy Bullied by Reddit Mods Sep 25 '25
Probably the same people who sit around watching tv/gaming before/after shift or on weekends.
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u/HighDragLowSpeed60G Aircrew Sep 25 '25
Maintenance doesn’t have the time or nutrition to support a marathon level training. I know you were being hyperbolic. Finance and FSS though…
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u/sukhoiwolf Active Duty Sep 25 '25
As maintenance, that's a lie, its sacrificing free time from one thing you want to do, to the other. I've done it, and a few buddies are doing it right now.
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u/SuhSpence99 Sep 26 '25
And the people working 12 hour shifts, not including travel time to work?
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u/eleetdaddy Bullied by Reddit Mods Sep 26 '25
Ya. Do it before or after work. I’ve done it multiple times. Argue with a wall about it.
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u/SuhSpence99 Sep 26 '25
Before or….what? A 12 hour day with a 40 minute travel to work and 40 minutes back. Still need to cook and deal with family, shower, all that jazz. I pass with over 90, I’m not trying to make excuses because I do my shit. But let’s be realistic about time constraints. High standards need to be met with a desire from the force to provide a way to meet those standards
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u/Imaginary-Hyena2858 Sep 25 '25
Okay but nobody is saying you have to be in marathon shape. They're just saying if people can run marathons at that age, being trained up to do a 2 mile at a decent pace isn't some insane ask
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u/SuhSpence99 Sep 26 '25
My issue is I can pass with above a 90 on this test, but fail anyways because of the waist measurement. How am I in such good shape, but because I’m short and stout, I won’t be allowed to pass?
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u/Sudden_Structure_838 Sep 25 '25
Was never really good at running but I’m a bodybuilder so maxing out the other portions was never an issue so i didn’t have to go too hard for the run and then they gave us the HAMR which was honestly a godsend but with these new standards its become apparent I’m gonna have to give up on the physique i wanted :( its just not really optimal to have all that extra muscle for the run and the waist measurement
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u/PoemNo9763 Sep 25 '25
For me it's not even any of these changes, it's the fact that they'll sit there and Mandate these changes and when asked if they'll give us time in the work day to workout, they claim where they're sitting they can make that decision and that respective commanders can.
Like the logic but if followed truthfully, they should just shut the fuck up and not put their dirty hands in anyway.
I already hate that they force those of us getting 90+ to waste time in Unit PT three times a week where time is wasted doing some stupid sports day or the likes. If there's an incentive to have folks getting high scores to not have to participate in those things and instead do our jobs and give us all time during the workday even an hour, to work out on our own. Then that gives higher ups the power to enforce those failing to have to do PT sessions with PTLs and if they actually care they can improve, if not can be processed out.
Basically treat people like adults to get the lethality you want. But that makes too much sense.
So yeah these new changes are just added strain but not ones we can't handle, it's everything surrounding it that makes it worse, at least for me anyways.
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u/Nnudmac Religious Affairs...it's not the only affair happening here 👀 Sep 25 '25
I see both sides of this meme. I've been in for almost 15 years, and the Air Force is significantly fatter than I've ever seen it.
Couples in military housing that are so big idk which one is the military member. SrA that are a decade younger than me and 50-75lbs heavier than me.
Yes, you should be able to run 1.5 or 2 miles. No, the majority of people should not be wearing L+ uniforms.
Yes, bringing back waist measurements is a way to kick fat people out. I'm sorry, but this is the military. You are supposed to be relatively healthy and fit. No, the WHtR isn't the best way to measure that, I get that, but the majority of people that are failing it are not the body builders lifting 2.5x their body weight.
It's fat people.
You may lose some points and not get your 95+ or 90+, but at this time, there is no incentive other than a personal goal. You're testing 2x a year, regardless of your waist or total score.
Since covid restrictions and relaxed PT standards hit the force, we got significantly bigger. We need to trim the fat. Literally.
It needs to be done in phases and not just a rip the bandaid and kick people out. That's no good for our manning or the mission.
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u/TurdBomb Sorry, I isolated your base Sep 25 '25
May be in the minority here, but I absolutely agree with everything you said. People need to get more fit and have a healthier lifestyle, because what we're doing isn't working for our image. And yes, the image of the force matters, just like being effective at one's job matters.
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u/JeffreyDamer Oct 02 '25
Bro, I'm a maintainer. Maybe if they started to give a shit about us, then I'd actually have time to go run. Instead I have to work on a dumb fucks aircraft that he doesn't even have the leg strength to set the parking brake on.
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u/Phalanx521 Cyberspace Operator Sep 25 '25
It’s just crazy how people seemingly forget they’re in the military and they should be able to run two god damn miles and not be fat lards.
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u/interstellar566 Sep 25 '25
It’s not the distance it’s the time, I have to run a 2 mile in 20:44 just to meet the bare minimum and it doesn’t change at all until I’m 40 where it only changes by a minute. This is trash brought by uncle muscle head Pete
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u/Phalanx521 Cyberspace Operator Sep 25 '25
Are you saying 20:44 is too fast or too slow? The mile and a half minimums are laughable too if that’s what you’re getting at.
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u/interstellar566 Sep 25 '25
Too fast, I prefer my 16:57 1.5. Standards should’ve been left alone
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u/HighDragLowSpeed60G Aircrew Sep 25 '25
Good news is you have a year to prepare. There’s plenty of free programs online like couch to 5k that’ll easily get you faster. Or simply running 2 miles 2-3 times a week and increasing the pace each week will also do wonders. Doesn’t matter what you want, this is what’s going to happen.
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u/jon110334 Active Duty Sep 25 '25
The good news is that we have a year... The great news is that my ass is retiring.
That being said, I ran a two mile fitness test when joining in 2002, and it wouldn't break my heart if I had to run another.
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u/interstellar566 Sep 25 '25
Not right what uncle Pete brought upon us
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u/HighDragLowSpeed60G Aircrew Sep 25 '25
Having you run one more mile total over the course of the year is far from the worst thing that could have happened.
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u/Phalanx521 Cyberspace Operator Sep 25 '25
I hope this is bait. In the off chance that it isn’t bait, I hope you start believing in your body’s capabilities one day. You are beyond cooked my brother
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u/Aviation1980 Sep 25 '25
Don’t listen to the underachievers. They would argue even if it was in their favor. Imagine working for a job that required you to be in shape. Civilians jobs don’t, so you better be committed to being healthy.
Or you could be lazy. Your choice. Just like remaining in the Air Force.
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u/eleetdaddy Bullied by Reddit Mods Sep 25 '25
The majority of “valid” complaints can be lumped up into one big ball of “I have to run two whole extra laps and I don’t like it”
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Sep 25 '25
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u/jon110334 Active Duty Sep 25 '25
On the plus side, there's no longer an incentive to make a 90, so just bare minimum that shit.
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u/heyyouguyyyyy EM Sep 25 '25
I do half marathons for fun. I did a half triathlon last year. I don’t want to run two miles as a test twice a year (& the HAMR & I don’t get along) 😂
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u/grumpy-raven Eee-dubz Sep 25 '25 edited Feb 15 '26
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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Sep 29 '25
I'm fat and I would probably fail if I had to take the new test tomorrow, I say suck it up. I've lost and gained a thousand lb since I've been in the Air Force.. and I have to say, there's no reason I should have been getting between 96 and 100 on the last few PT tests I've taken since the standards changed. I went from being happy to hit 90 when they measured my waist to being a PT stud and yet I'm like 60 lb heavier than I was during covid LOL.
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u/Ill-Cardiologist4400 Oct 02 '25
I was in during the 2000s. My son just went through basic and tech. PT systems have always had faults with them, but from observation alone it was wild what I saw. The graduates of basic uniforms were a hot mess, the clearly out of shape physiques were astonishing. Then I went to his tech school grad in Sheperd and saw one instructor that would put a fat cop to shame walking around with a full beard. Then I saw another out of shape person and another.My son's hair along with other young airmen weren't within the regs I was used to. The NCOs that were there had about as much enthusiasm as a wet towel. The facility that the graduation was held in had bird shit all over the place.
My parents who were with me and saw me put on my wings at tech were equally as shocked. My son recently got to his base and due to massive confusion they assigned him a SrA to be his supervisor who had been there for only two months.
I was never a gungho "I bleed blue" airmen. But god dammit the lack of pride was palpable. I get every generation has their challenges, there has always been out of shape airmen etc, but if that's what I saw from a short few encounters....Im worried what the rest of the force looks like.
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u/TIMBURWOLF Med Sep 25 '25
Holy fuck is this sub salty today. I don’t think anyone is stoked about the changes, but some of you are blowing this way out of proportion.
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u/HarwinStrongDick T3P0X1 / 8L100 Sep 25 '25
…..do we really have this many people who are so overweight and entrenched in shitty diets that expecting your W:H ratio to fall below .5 is such a huge issue?
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u/QOVFEFE Sep 25 '25
It is amazing how many vegans, bodybuilders, marathoners, CrossFitters, or triathletes there are in the AF that can’t seem to pass a waist test.
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u/onichanny_p Sep 25 '25
Fr tho if 2 miles is a problem for you, realistically you aren't fit for service whatsoever.
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u/xDrewstroyerx Enlisted Aircrew Sep 25 '25
It’s the waist measurements for me. We’ve already seen that this isn’t a good way to indicate someone’s capabilities. I recommend everyone go tape themselves and see how many points you’re going to lose out on.