{"id":12235,"date":"2022-03-18T13:43:34","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T13:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:14:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:14:20","slug":"heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s the Space Force\u2019s plan to ditch annual fitness testing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Space Force is boldly going where no U.S. military branch has gone before: dumping the annual fitness test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon\u2019s newest branch wants its members to focus on managing their daily health to feel their best, rather than on how fast they can run a mile or complete pushups once a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is time we implement a data-driven, research-informed, holistic health and fitness approach to increase the wellness and readiness of the force,\u201d Space Force personnel boss Patricia Mulcahy said in a March 16 memo to guardians.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/11\/12\/here-are-the-scores-you-need-to-pass-the-new-air-force-pt-test\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1000w_q95-5-1.jpg-1.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Here are the scores you need to pass the new Air Force PT test<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Air Force on Friday released a fresh set of spreadsheets that will be used to calculate airmen\u2019s scores on the revamped annual physical fitness assessment, which begins in January.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting next year, the service plans to institute a program that promotes physical activity, mental health, balanced eating and sleep, and other facets of a healthy lifestyle. Guardians in 2022 will get the chance to weigh in on which technologies and methods the Space Force should use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis program will promote not just physical fitness; it will pair fitness with robust education on diet, sleep hygiene and other physiological factors to promote social, mental and spiritual health as well,\u201d Mulcahy wrote. \u201cWe are looking into more scientifically proven ways to do so and will be leveraging wearable technologies and tools.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guardians are already trying out Garmin watches and Oura rings to see how well they fit into their everyday lives. Officials bet that spending money on wearables to track workout, physiological and sleep data will ultimately lead to lower health care costs and keep the workforce happier and more productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor me, it\u2019s been really good,\u201d Gen. Jay Raymond, the Space Force\u2019s top officer, told reporters March 4. \u201cIf I ate a late dinner, I didn\u2019t sleep as well because my heartbeat didn\u2019t go down as fast at night. \u2026 I have gotten a better night\u2019s sleep because I\u2019m aware of those [details], which hopefully makes me more effective in my job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/09\/21\/the-space-forces-new-service-dress-and-pt-uniforms-have-landed\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DSC_7754A.JPG.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The Space Force\u2019s new service dress and PT uniforms have landed<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">NCAA steeplechase champion 2nd Lt. Mahala Norris made a cameo to debut the PT uniform.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Space Force has contracted with health tech company FitRankings to link data from any wearable into a network where troops can compete and hold each other accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPowered by FitRankings technology, guardians will create individual profiles that connect to their wearable or app, providing in-platform fitness data for any activity and allowing data standardization,\u201d the company said in a March 14 release. \u201cGuardians\u2019 wearables will provide real-time data and insights that enable guardians to track fitness goal progress, optimize programming and assess physical readiness criteria instantaneously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman told reporters on March 4 the system will behave like a stoplight: green means a guardian is healthy; yellow means there\u2019s room for improvement, and red signals cause for concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt allows intervention \u2014 helpful, meaningful investment in guardians instead of disciplinary, punitive intervention because they quietly were failing for six months, and then somebody has to do something,\u201d Towberman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a commander notices a guardian has slipped into the yellow or red zones, they can pull them aside to see what\u2019s getting in the way of a healthy gym routine, sleep schedule or eating choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that cognitive acuity is tied to physical fitness,\u201d Towberman added. \u201cWe are 100% committed to having the most physically fit and mentally capable human beings that we can get.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"999\" height=\"665\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wearables.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"An airman from the 18th Component Maintenance Squadron wears gear for the Rapid Analysis of Threat Exposure study while working at Kadena Air Base, Japan, April 29, 2021. The RATE study acts as a check-engine light for participants that can tell them when something with their health is amiss or when their body may be developing an infection. (Senior Airman Demond McGhee\/Air Force)\" class=\"wp-image-28043\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wearables.jpg.jpg 999w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wearables.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wearables.jpg.jpg?resize=768,511 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An airman from the 18th Component Maintenance Squadron wears gear for the Rapid Analysis of Threat Exposure study while working at Kadena Air Base, Japan, April 29, 2021. The RATE study acts as a check-engine light for participants that can tell them when something with their health is amiss or when their body may be developing an infection. (Senior Airman Demond McGhee\/Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because space operations entail more desk work \u2014 like sitting at a satellite control console or monitoring missile launch data on a computer \u2014 than other military missions, Space Force officials want to prioritize general wellness instead of judging members on specific strength and endurance exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also want to carve out their own service culture instead of automatically adopting the test used by the Department of the Air Force, under which the Space Force falls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critics of annual fitness evaluations say that approach leads service members to cram training into a short period of time before the test, instead of staying in shape year-round. Troops are more likely to hurt themselves from pushing too hard, too fast, adding to health care costs and sidelining personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Military PT testing practices have also caused eating disorders among some service members who resort to drastic measures to cut weight before their annual evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Department of the Air Force is searching for a way to assess body composition without incentivizing dangerous behavior, and may start vetting height-to-weight ratios instead of measuring people\u2019s waist circumference, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.military.com\/daily-news\/2022\/02\/25\/air-force-weighs-waist-height-measurement-replace-tape-test.html\">Military.com reported Feb. 25.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur goal is to implement a program that will support guardians in their individual journeys in health and wellness so that they can be their best whole selves, both for their teams and at home with their families,\u201d Space Force spokesperson Lynn Kirby said Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/09\/30\/hundreds-of-troops-were-chosen-for-the-space-force-but-congress-is-getting-in-the-way\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/army-sats.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Hundreds of troops were chosen for the Space Force, but Congress is getting in the way<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Space Force has never received on-time annual funding, slowing the new service&#039;s efforts to grow.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the meantime, all guardians must take one diagnostic PT test using the Air Force rules by the end of December. Their results won\u2019t be used to judge whether a guardian should be promoted or retained in the service, or as a reason for punishment, Mulcahy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyone transferring in from the Army, Navy or Marine Corps can do the same with the tests from their prior branch, she added. The memo doesn\u2019t apply to people who haven\u2019t yet graduated into the Space Force from programs like basic military training or Officer Training School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While some praise the Space Force for gamifying military fitness, others are debating how to game the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWonder how many people are going to put it on their dog and take them to the park,\u201d Reddit user rubbarz mused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">User s0p3rns1nja replied: \u201cIt\u2019s based on [oxygen consumption] and heart rate levels. Dog may not work, but I see a market opening for people paying other people to wear them while running.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWe are 100% committed to having the most physically fit and mentally capable human beings that we can get,&#8221; Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":28037,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":12,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,23,89,12,26],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3381],"class_list":["post-12235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"AF5RG2QKTVA75DKFFGXQ22G6YE","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Here\u2019s the Space Force\u2019s plan to ditch annual fitness testing - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cWe are 100% committed to having the most physically fit and mentally capable human beings that we can get,&quot; Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman said.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Here\u2019s the Space Force\u2019s plan to ditch annual fitness testing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cWe are 100% committed to having the most physically fit and mentally capable human beings that we can get,&quot; Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman said.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-18T13:43:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T20:14:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rachel S. Cohen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rachel S. Cohen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Here\u2019s the Space Force\u2019s plan to ditch annual fitness testing\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2022-03-18T13:43:34+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T20:14:20+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1006,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/mahala-norris.png.png\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Middle Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Here\u2019s the Space Force\u2019s plan to ditch annual fitness testing - Navy Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/mahala-norris.png.png\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2022-03-18T13:43:34+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T20:14:20+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"\u201cWe are 100% committed to having the most physically fit and mentally capable human beings that we can get,\\\" Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman said.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/mahala-norris.png.png\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/mahala-norris.png.png\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/18\\\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"News\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"news\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Here\u2019s the Space Force\u2019s plan to ditch annual fitness testing\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Navy Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Here\u2019s the Space Force\u2019s plan to ditch annual fitness testing - Navy Times","description":"\u201cWe are 100% committed to having the most physically fit and mentally capable human beings that we can get,\" Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman said.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Here\u2019s the Space Force\u2019s plan to ditch annual fitness testing","og_description":"\u201cWe are 100% committed to having the most physically fit and mentally capable human beings that we can get,\" Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman said.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/","og_site_name":"Navy Times","article_published_time":"2022-03-18T13:43:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-07T20:14:20+00:00","author":"Rachel S. Cohen","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Rachel S. Cohen","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Here\u2019s the Space Force\u2019s plan to ditch annual fitness testing","datePublished":"2022-03-18T13:43:34+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T20:14:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/"},"wordCount":1006,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mahala-norris.png.png","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Home","Middle Column","News","Newsletters"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/","name":"Here\u2019s the Space Force\u2019s plan to ditch annual fitness testing - Navy Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mahala-norris.png.png","datePublished":"2022-03-18T13:43:34+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T20:14:20+00:00","description":"\u201cWe are 100% committed to having the most physically fit and mentally capable human beings that we can get,\" Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman said.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mahala-norris.png.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mahala-norris.png.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/03\/18\/heres-the-space-forces-plan-to-ditch-annual-fitness-testing\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/","ad_zone":"news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Here\u2019s the Space Force\u2019s plan to ditch annual fitness testing"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","name":"Navy Times","description":"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization","name":"Navy Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","caption":"Navy Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Navy Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mahala-norris.png.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12235"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86815,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12235\/revisions\/86815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12235"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=12235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}