In 1973 I took my fist PT Test at Fort Knox, KY. A trainee in E-13-4, I lost 40 pounds in basic training.
In 1998, I took my final PT test for the Army. I passed it, just barely, but I knew that it was time to retire.
The Army PT Test is weighted for age. Old farts like me don't have to run the two miles as fast as the kiddos in the ranks. My last PT Test I had to run 2 miles in 19:36. I made it in 19:30. And damn near puked at the finish line. I knew it was time to retire. I was 45 years old. I think that at that time an 18-year-old had to run the test in 16-something to pass, with the max score in the 12 minute mark. Or something like that.
The point is, the Army PT Test is weighted for age. No one expects a 40-year-old to make the same times or scores as an 18-year-old. Bust, there are standards for the old farts, and they need to meet them.
As a trainee at Knox, I was surprised one morning to a General Officer doing PT with us. Then, he got in line for breakfast. At our company mess hall we had a horizontal ladder we had to traverse before we could enter the mess hall. The General went through the ladder with the rest of us. That is leadership.
When I was training with the 5th Division at Fort Polk, it was not uncommon to see the commanding General huffing and puffing his tired ass around the water towers. From tower-to-tower was a 3-mile run and the General was out there with us. That is leadership.
If a General Officer in the Pentagon cannot pass the standard APFT, he has no business being on active duty. It's simple, it is a bsic standard,
2 comments:
After a full career my last PT run was about 7 months before me retirement date. I made it, age-staged standard of course, but barely. According to the stopwatch I was under by less than 30 seconds. My body, however, felt like it was over, and I do mean OVER. Was sure I was going to die before retirement. Best part though, was a lot of my people urging me on.
By the way, I finished brewing up a pot of shrimp bisque a little while ago and the second batch is on now. I've got two neighbors and a great friend 30 minutes from here anxiously waiting. They loved the first attempt -- great and simple recipe -- thanks again.
And the PT test for women is different than the men's. Even though women are now allowed in some combat roles. That's just wrong.
When I was at Ft Rucker going thru helo flight school, we had a couple of female student pilots that passed the men's minimum PT standard.
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