The U.S. Army announced a new Combat Field Test (CFT) to better prepare Soldiers in demanding combat roles for the physical realities of modern warfare.
The test, required annually for active-duty personnel in 24 designated combat military occupational specialties (MOS), consists of seven continuous events that must be completed in 30 minutes or less while wearing the Army Combat Uniform, combat boots, and a brown T-shirt, according to the U.S. Army’s April 22 press release.
#Breaking: #USArmy announces new Combat Field Test to enhance Soldier readiness
Release: https://t.co/v0IBL39DoB
🧵 Details ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/kjNuRfIstg
— U.S. Army (@USArmy) April 22, 2026
The CFT is pass/fail and age- and sex-neutral. It complements the Army Fitness Test (AFT), which became the official fitness test of record for all Soldiers on June 1, 2025, replacing the previous Army Combat Fitness Test.
Implementation of the CFT begins with diagnostic testing in April 2026, followed by a 365-day period before full enforcement for record.
The seven events in sequence are 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 40-pound water cans, a 50-meter movement drill (25-meter high crawl and 25-meter 3- to 5-second rush), and a final one-mile run. The test measures performance under fatigue in a continuous sequence designed to simulate combat demands.
Secretary of the Army Hon. Dan Driscoll stated: “The Combat Field Test is a critical step forward in ensuring our Soldiers serving in the most physically demanding specialties have the specific fitness required to dominate on the modern battlefield. This is about readiness, lethality, and the well-being of our Soldiers.”
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer added: “This isn’t just about passing a test; it’s a direct measure of our commitment to readiness and ensuring our warfighters can dominate in any environment. We’re asking more of our combat arms Soldiers, and this test validates their ability to meet that high standard.”
The CFT applies to MOS including infantry, armor, Special Forces, artillery, explosive ordnance disposal, combat engineers, and related fields. Active-duty Soldiers and certain Reserve Component personnel on extended orders in these roles must complete both the AFT and CFT annually. Other Reserve Component Soldiers in combat specialties will alternate between the two tests each year. No adverse administrative actions will occur during the initial diagnostic phase.
This announcement follows the rollout of the AFT, which features five events: the three-repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up arm extension, sprint-drag-carry, plank, and two-mile run. Combat specialties require a minimum total score of 350 with at least 60 points per event under sex-neutral, age-normed standards for combat roles.
Other Notable Recent Changes
The Army has implemented several policy adjustments in recent months to support force readiness and recruitment.
In March 2026, the service raised the maximum enlistment age from 35 to 42, effective April 20, 2026, for the Regular Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard. The change also eliminated the need for a waiver for a single prior conviction of marijuana possession or drug paraphernalia, as previously reported on by The Dallas Express.
Recruiting numbers have shown improvement. In fiscal year 2025, the Regular Army recruited 62,050 Soldiers against a goal of approximately 60,500 to 61,000, achieving roughly 101.72% to 103.47% of the target. This marked a rebound from fiscal year 2023, when the Army attained only 50,181 against a goal of 65,500 (about 76.6%), and from fiscal year 2022, when it reached 44,901 against a goal of 60,000 (74.8%). Fiscal year 2024 saw 55,150 against a goal of 55,000 (100.27%).
These figures reflect the best recruiting performance in 15 years for the active component in FY2025. The Army Reserve lagged, achieving 12,426 against 14,320 (86.76%) in FY2025, compared to lower percentages in prior years.
The U.S. Army Public Affairs office released the CFT announcement on April 22, 2026. Details are outlined in Army Directive 2026-07. Soldiers can find additional information on the official Army Fitness Test page.
