Air Force leaders want the fitness program to support a year-round fitness culture, provide visible score increases for improved performance and send a clear message that health and fitness are directly related to mission accomplishment.
This means that all Airmen should do their part by incorporating “year-round fitness” into their daily lives. All Airmen can show Excellence In All We Do with fitness by setting fitness goals, incorporating fitness time into your daily schedule and giving your best during each work out.
So live by the Core Value of Excellence In All We Do and help the AF maintain a higher level of readiness and enhanced mission accomplishment.
Air Force Focus
You are responsible for meeting and maintaining these fitness standards.
The goal of the Air Force Fitness Program is to motivate Airmen to participate in a year-round physical conditioning program that emphasizes total fitness, to include proper aerobic conditioning, strength and flexibility training as well as healthy eating.
All Airmen must be physically fit to support the AF mission. Health benefits from an active lifestyle are increased productivity, optimized health and decreased absenteeism, which contributes to a higher level of readiness. For specific information and/or to view various fitness charts, refer to AF Instruction (AFI) 36-2905, Fitness Program or the Air Force Fitness Program website.
Fitness Assessment Cells
A Fitness Assessment Cell (FAC) is a team of trained civilian employees located at most installations whose mission is to conduct fitness assessments and administer the AF Fitness Program. Where no FAC exists, a certified unit fitness program manager or physical training leader will conduct fitness assessments.
Fitness Assessment
Fitness assessment components used to determine overall fitness:
- Body composition: evaluated by abdominal circumference measurements.
- Aerobic component: evaluated by the 1.5-mile timed run (Airmen not medically cleared for the 1.5-mile run will be assessed through an alternative aerobic test consisting of a 2.0-kilometer walk).
- Muscular fitness component: evaluated by the number of push-ups and sit-ups completed in one minute.
General rules about the fitness assessment:
- All components of the fitness assessment must be completed within a 3-hour window on the same day
- There is a minimum 3-minute rest period between components
- The body composition assessment, to include height, weight and abdominal circumference measurements, is performed by the FAC staff and must be the first component assessed
- The abdominal circumference is used to obtain the body composition component score. Height and weight are not factored into the composite score
- The muscular fitness components (push-ups and sit-ups) may be completed before or after the 1.5 mile run
Scoring
The AF uses an overall composite fitness score.
Members must meet both of these items to pass the fitness assessment:
- Minimum values in each of the four components identified in the images below
- Achieve a composite point total of equal to or greater than 75 points
NOTE: SCORING THE MINIMUM COMPONENT VALUES IN ALL COMPONENTS WILL NOT GENERATE ENOUGH POINTS TO EARN A COMPOSITE SCORE OF 75 OR GREATER.
The reasoning behind the minimum component values is to ensure members test adequately in all components rather than excelling in some and disregarding others. Having these minimum values provides a more well-rounded test and members must demonstrate a minimum level of proficiency in all components to pass the test.
Members will receive age and gender-specific composite scores based on the following maximum component scores:
- 60 points for aerobic
- 20 points for body composition
- 10 points for push-ups
- 10 points for sit-ups
Fitness Categories
Members testing in all four components will fall into one of three fitness categories based on their overall composite score:
- Excellent: composite score equal to or greater than 90 with all minimum components met
- Satisfactory: composite score of 75 - 89.99 with all minimum components met
- Unsatisfactory: composite score less than 75 and/or one or more minimum components not met
Members with medical profile exemptions prohibiting them from performing one or more components will have a composite score calculated on the assessed components:
- Abdominal circumference will be performed on all members, unless exempted by a medical provider
- Members must achieve a minimum of 75 adjusted points, based on points available, and meet component standards in order to receive a satisfactory rating
Maintaining Standards and Administrative Actions
Members are expected to comply with AF fitness standards at all times. When members fail to comply with the standards, they render themselves potentially subject to adverse action.
Unit commanders may take adverse administrative action upon a member’s unsatisfactory fitness score on an official fitness assessment. These actions vary according to the number of failures and include verbal counseling, Letter of Counseling, Letter of Admonition, deferring promotion and other actions all the way up to an administrative separation (refer to AFI 36-2905 for more information).
As appropriate, unit commanders will document and take corrective action for member’s unexcused failures to participate in the fitness program such as failing to accomplish a scheduled fitness assessment, failing to attend a scheduled fitness appointment, failing to complete mandatory educational intervention or failing to maintain the required documentation of exercise while on the Fitness Improvement Program.
Air Force World-Class Athlete Program
For those of you who want to excel, the AF World-Class Athlete Program (WCAP) is available for you. The WCAP is a 2-year program that provides elite active duty, Air National Guard and AF Reserve athletes the opportunity to train and compete at national and international sports competitions with the ultimate goal of selection to the US Olympic team.
The WCAP is not a developmental program; it targets athletes who have achieved world-class status in their respective sport. Candidates need to submit applications to the US Olympic Committee’s National Governing Body for their sport to verify their national ranking, ability and potential. Selected athletes will be assigned to Headquarters AF Services Agency, San Antonio, TX, and will be stationed near elite coaches and world-class training facilities.
Candidates must remain competitive for a US Olympic team position to remain in the program, which ends with the Olympic Trials or after competing with the national team at the Olympics. Find out more about the World-Class Athlete Program website.
Summary
It is your responsibility to dedicate yourself to fitness. You can show Excellence In All We Do by not just aiming to meet the fitness standards, but striving to exceed them. Live by the AF Core Value of Excellence In All We Do so you can benefit from optimal health and do your part to help the AF team fly, fight and win our nations wars.
After all, it is not about being fit to test, it is about being fit to fight and being fit for life!