Two senators are asking for a delay in the Army\u2019s implementation of its new combat fitness test, or ACFT, pending an independent study of how it will effect critical career fields and soldiers deployed to austere outposts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked in a letter <\/a>sent Tuesday to the House and Senate armed services committees for the ACFT roll-out to be paused and studied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe acknowledge that the ACFT 2.0 is a work in progress, but we have considerable concerns regarding the negative impact it may already be having on so many careers,” the senators said in the letter, a copy of which was provided<\/a> to Army Times. \u201cIt is imperative that we pause implementation until all questions and concerns are answered.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The six-event ACFT<\/a> is a noticeably more difficult test than that which it replaces, with higher failure rates recorded among women<\/a>. The increased difficultly is often attributed to the ACFT\u2019s emphasis on core and upper body strength through exercises like the deadlift and hanging leg-tuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\t