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Part of the issue is, even if you can get a passing score of 75, you can fail if you don't meet the minimum requirement in any one category. So if you score an 85, but you're required to do 40 push-ups in your age bracket but only do 39, you fail the test.
Apparently it is an issue. Common sense would be to set standards that apply to your mission. About 95% of the Air Force is one big support function for pilots and rocket scientists. While it's important to be in good physical shape, why try to mirror the Army's standards when our missions are different? For what the Air Force does, the ability to perform 50 push-ups will not have an impact on the mission.
This is all being driven by a Chief of Staff with different priorities. After his term is up, a new AF Chief of Staff will take over and he'll once again change the PT standards, uniforms, and AFSC's and we'll continute to waste time, money, and resources with frivolous changes at the tax payers expense. The Air Force has been doing this song and dance for the last 20 years--changing things every few years and often going back to the way it was in the first place. Sometimes making changes just for the sake of change, so a General can stamp his name on it. Not very efficient.
Apparently it is an issue. Common sense would be to set standards that apply to your mission. About 95% of the Air Force is one big support function for pilots and rocket scientists. While it's important to be in good physical shape, why try to mirror the Army's standards when our missions are different? For what the Air Force does, the ability to perform 50 push-ups will not have an impact on the mission.
This is all being driven by a Chief of Staff with different priorities. After his term is up, a new AF Chief of Staff will take over and he'll once again change the PT standards, uniforms, and AFSC's and we'll continute to waste time, money, and resources with frivolous changes at the tax payers expense. The Air Force has been doing this song and dance for the last 20 years--changing things every few years and often going back to the way it was in the first place. Sometimes making changes just for the sake of change, so a General can stamp his name on it. Not very efficient.
It doesn't mirror Army standards, their's is more difficult.
I scored high 80s on my last, 87 or 88 I think, and would've failed. I took it before the new standards started, about a month before. I couldn't do the minimum push-ups- despite scoring nearly 90. Oh well.
Do you know what that means? I gotta practice push-ups until I'm good to go. Simple as that. If you can't meet the standards, you take measures to fix it. No need for that many people to fail with so much advance notice. It's not like it was a surprise that they had to do so many push-ups, so many sit-ups, the minimum numbers were released like A YEAR ago!
How does the AF mission differ from the aviation wings of the Marine Corps? If you're basing the requirement for physical fitness based on jobs, infantry only accounts for about 20% of USMC MOS (based on 03 MOS and 2009 USMC Almanac numbers). The overwhelming number of Marines are support jobs. Our standards are the most difficult, yet somehow seem to have smallest problems with physical fitness.
All of the AF physical fitness standards are doing is asking you to be healthy, Any healthy adult should have no problem with this. Don't you get 14:30 to do a 1.5 miles? You can't even ship to USMC training if you can't run it in under 13:30 (15 for female), do 44 crunches in 2 min, and 2 pull ups (12 second flex arm-hang for females). I have kids who when they joined the DEP were running 17+, or couldn't do pull-ups or crunches and it has never taken more than a couple of months to get them where they need to be.
The minimum requirement is just that, a minimum. Why would you pass the test if you failed an event? I hear where you coming from, but I don't see all the hate for something that's only going to make you better. The standards are achievable. What's the downside of this? You're being paid to be healthy.
I scored high 80s on my last, 87 or 88 I think, and would've failed. I took it before the new standards started, about a month before. I couldn't do the minimum push-ups- despite scoring nearly 90. Oh well.
Do you know what that means? I gotta practice push-ups until I'm good to go. Simple as that. If you can't meet the standards, you take measures to fix it. No need for that many people to fail with so much advance notice. It's not like it was a surprise that they had to do so many push-ups, so many sit-ups, the minimum numbers were released like A YEAR ago!
Do you know what I think it was/is? A problem all services have in one area or another. The AF has always had a standard, but that standard hasn't always been enforced. Especially with the amount of change from one thing to another, then back again. Standards were flaunted in the past w/o consequence, what reason was their to think this would be any different. When heads roll people will get on board. As a matter of fact, I think heads rolling is what predicated a lot of the changes the AF has seen as of late(Top Air Force Officials Fired - ABC News ). What's going with the AF kind of reminds me of the tale of Sun Tzu (Art of War author) and concubines. Sun Tzu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quote:
One legend of Sun Tzu's life goes as follows: The king of Wu tested Sun Tzu's skills by commanding him to train a harem of 180 concubines into soldiers. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, appointing the two concubines most favored by the king as the company commanders. When Sun Tzu first ordered the concubines to face right, they giggled. In response, Sun Tzu said that the general, in this case himself, was responsible for ensuring that soldiers understood the commands given to them. Then, he reiterated the command, and again the concubines giggled. Sun Tzu then ordered the execution of the king's two favored concubines, to the king's protests. He explained that if the general's soldiers understood their commands but did not obey, it was the fault of the officers. Sun Tzu also said that once a general was appointed, it was their duty to carry out their mission, even if the king protested. After both concubines were killed, new officers were chosen to replace them. Afterwards, both companies performed their maneuvers flawlessly.[3]
I have the utmost confidence that Airmen will adapt and excel. During my 30 year Army career I have served with a lot of Air force personnel and they have always impressed me with their professionalism.
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