Redirecting...

Maxwell Airmen gear up for revised Physical Training standards

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Melissa Copeland
  • Air University Public Affairs
With only 11 weeks to go until the revised version of the Air Force Physical Training test takes effect Jan. 1, 2010, Airmen on Maxwell and Gunter should expect to see increased emphasis on meeting and exceeding the new standards.

The revisions are the result of an Air Force-wide audit of the fitness program ordered by then Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney McKinley in the summer of 2008. 

The revisions of the Air Force PT test include:
·Bi-annual testing
·Tests conducted by trained civilian employees at installation Fitness Assessment Cells
·In addition to a 75-point passing score, Airmen must meet or exceed the new minimum proficiencies in each category - pushups, crunches and the 1.5-mile run
·New 10-year age grouping
·Commanders will have the option to enact first-time failure disciplinary actions
·The revised AFI 36-2406 will no longer mandate commanders to permit fitness time during duty hours
·1.5-mile run will now account for 60 percent of total score; body composition - 20 percent; pushups and crunches - 10 percent each
·Air Force/A1 is now the governing agency for the Air Force fitness program
·Airmen who fail a PT test and have a referral report of any type, will not receive an overall "5" rating
·Airmen who fail a PT test can retest prior to the 42-day wait period previously mandated
·Composite categories of Excellent (>90.0), Satisfactory (75.0-89.9), and Unsatisfactory (<75.0) will replace the current categories of Excellent, Good, and Poor
·Airmen exempt from completing any component of the test will only be categorized as "pass" based on an adjusted composite score of 75 or higher or "fail" based on an adjusted composite score below 75
·Airmen who consistently exhibit fitness excellence will be authorized a PT uniform patch to recognize their commitment to fitness.

Long before the fitness revisions were announced, Maxwell's schools have had a fitness program in place to ensure the fitness excellence of their Airmen. 

Since November 2007, the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education's Air Force Senior NCO Academy has trained the Air Force's senior enlisted leaders on the importance of physical fitness by incorporating 19 hours of fitness and nutrition education - 14 of which are PT activities.

The SNCOA also has the Condition Limited program for those students on medical profiles. The program offers fitness alternatives and allows senior NCOs the opportunity to stay healthy and incorporate exercise into their routine by working around their specific limitation.

The Eaker Center for Professional Development and the Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development ensure fitness standards are being met by gathering one day a month, in addition to weekly individual PT sessions, as a team building event and to measure the unit's level of fitness.

The Maxwell Health and Wellness Center also offers a variety of fitness improvement programs and assessments for those Airmen wishing to start the New Year off right.

For more information on the PT program revisions, visit www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/affitnessprogram/index.asp, or for more information on the Maxwell HAWC, call 953-7117.