{"id":66712,"date":"2019-11-01T15:05:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T15:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/11\/01\/basic-trainees-are-maxing-the-new-fitness-test-now\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:17:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:17:40","slug":"basic-trainees-are-maxing-the-new-fitness-test-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2019\/11\/01\/basic-trainees-are-maxing-the-new-fitness-test-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic trainees are maxing the new fitness test now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Basic Combat Training recruit headed for Officer Candidate School <\/a>maxed out the new Army Combat Fitness Test <\/a>last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After an Oct. 21 test, Spc. Benjamin Ritchie became the third soldier in the Army to hit a perfect 600-point score<\/a> on the ACFT \u2014 and the first basic training recruit to do so, according to service officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now, a trainee must pass the ACFT to graduate from basic<\/a>, with one event waived to 50 points, according to U.S. Army Training Center spokesman Michael B. Pond. But it\u2019s still early in the roll-out process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are still collecting data, and the sample size is too small to gain any significant insights,\u201d Pond told Army Times. \u201cWith over 40,000 Trainees graduating into Soldiers at Fort Jackson every year, we\u2019ll need 6-9 months to really see the impact. And all the Battalions transition from familiarization to the test of record after January.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo far, we are getting turf installed and have all the test equipment,” Pond added. “Drill Sergeants are trained. We know we will have some bumps in the road as we transition, but so far the most significant material hurdles are cleared.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ritchie, who hails from San Antonio, Texas, is assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, according to a service news release<\/a>. His battalion was one of two on Fort Jackson, South Carolina, participating in the Army\u2019s pilot test that has recruits take the ACFT during the ninth week of training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Brig. Gen. Milford H. ‘Beags’ Beagle Jr., Fort Jackson commander and Post Command Sgt. Maj. Jerimiah C. Gan, pose with Spc. Benjamin Ritchie from 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment after his graduation Oct. 24. Ritchie became the third Soldier to max the Army Combat Fitness Test Oct. 21. (Photo Credit: Courtesy Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Two other trainees in the battalion scored above 590, according to the service release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ritchie, who graduated basic on Oct. 24, is headed to Fort Benning, Georgia, for Officer Candidate School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, he was actually unable to max out the legacy Army fitness test that is in the process of being phased out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the course of nine weeks at Fort Jackson, \u201che performed regularly scheduled physical readiness training according to the BCT program of instruction and ate the regular meals provided by the dining facility and by the end of basic training, he was able to max both the APFT and ACFT,\u201d the Army release reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\t