The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) and the Health of the Active Component: Understanding the Link Between the ACFT and Personnel Health and Injuries

The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) became the U.S. Army's physical fitness test of record in October 2022. The test is substantially different from the previous test and consists of six events intended to measure a more expansive set of capabilities: muscular strength and endurance, power, speed, agility, aerobic endurance, balance, flexibility, coordination, and reaction time. One of the Army's stated goals for the test was to reduce preventable injuries. More than half of soldiers experienced a new injury in 2021, so success in reducing the risk of injury could have a significant impact on both medical costs and lost workdays. Because the ACFT has been administered for a relatively short period, there are limited data available to assess the relationship between the ACFT and soldier health and injuries. Nevertheless, this research effort used available data to gain initial insights into this relationship. This study was part of RAND's independent assessment of the ACFT, focusing specifically on injury risk. To the extent that broader, more-holistic training is motivated by the more-expansive physical requirements of the ACFT, the literature suggests that the ACFT could in the long term lead to an overall reduction in injury rates. Many of the authors' recommendations focus on potential ACFT policy actions that the Army could take to help reduce preventable injuries and assess and monitor soldiers at risk.