Will 'sex-neutral' fitness test deter women from joining combat roles in the US Army? What we know

The US Army will require female soldiers in combat roles to pass the same “sex-neutral” fitness test as their male counterparts, the service announced Monday. The Army has unveiled new plans to require a fitness test with identical physical standards for men and women in combat positions.

The massive overhaul in physical fitness assessment comes after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the elimination of gender-based fitness requirements in frontline roles. Hegseth in the past has suggested such standards have been lowered to meet diversity quotas, but critics contest this and worry any changes could dissuade women from joining the military.

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US Army announces changes in physical fitness

The revamped army fitness test, which replaces the combat fitness test, will be “sex-neutral” and force female soldiers in 21 combat specialties to meet the same benchmarks as men. “The five-event AFT is designed to enhance Soldier fitness, improve warfighting readiness, and increase the lethality of the force,” the army said in a press release.

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The new Army Fitness Test (AFT) is now “the official physical fitness test of record for all Soldiers,” replacing the Army Combat Fitness Test beginning June 1, the service said in a release detailing the changes. The new, five-event test is “designed to enhance Soldier fitness, improve warfighting readiness, and increase the lethality of the force,” the Army states in its announcement.

As with its predecessor, the test will be given to active duty soldiers twice a year and to National Guard and Reserve troops once a year. Should service members fail the assessment twice in a row, they could be booted from the Army.

The AFT also includes tests administered in the outgoing evaluation, including deadlifts, pushups, holding a plank position, a 2-mile run and an exercise where troops sprint, drag a weighted sled and carry a set amount of weight. The one event not being carried forward is the standing power throw, which required soldiers to throw a 10-pound medicine ball over their heads and backward.

The standard AFT, which all troops must pass, will still be sex and age-based, according to the Army. But scoring on the test for 21 combat military occupational specialties is “sex-neutral and age-normed,” with women needing to meet the “male” standards.

That means they will have to lift more weight and run faster times than required under the previous standards, likely reducing the number of women who meet the requirements for such combat roles.

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When will the rules kick in?

New standards for active duty soldiers in combat roles will take effect in January 2026, with National Guard and Reserve members expected to comply by June 2026.

Before his nomination as Pentagon chief, Hegseth had firmly expressed his belief that “women should not serve in combat roles.”

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However, he has since revised his stance, now affirming that all combat positions will remain accessible to women, provided they meet the same rigorous standards required of male soldiers.

"For far too long, we allowed standards to slip and different standards for men and women in combat arms. … That’s not acceptable,” he said in a video posted to social platform X in March.

Past military leaders, meanwhile, have testified that the military has not lowered standards for women to gain entry into combat positions.