The U.S. Army will exempt Soldiers who score 465 points or higher on the new Army Fitness Test from body fat standards, under a directive the service says is effective immediately. To qualify, individuals must earn at least 80 points in every event and cannot use alternate events.
The change applies across all Army components and to both the general and combat variants of the AFT. All Soldiers will still complete a height-and-weight screening, with results recorded on Department of the Army Form 5500 or DA Form 5501. Those who do not meet height-and-weight tables but qualify for the exemption will not undergo a tape-measure body fat assessment.
Exemptions last until the next record AFT: up to eight months for Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers and up to 12 months for National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers. Those who do not revalidate within those windows become subject to body fat assessments and potential flagging actions for failing them.
“It rewards Soldiers who consistently demonstrate high levels of fitness, which supports readiness, health, and creates a culture that values performance,” said Sgt. Maj. Christopher Stevens, senior enlisted advisor to the U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1.
