The U.S. Space Force is thinking about a new approach for tracking its member’s military fitness. Currently, military branches require their members to meet certain fitness standards on an annual or semi-annual basis – just like the other branches. But the Space Force wants to change how Guardians are tracked. They have begun working on a plan to switch to a year-round model that focuses on daily health instead of meeting certain milestones in a yearly test. This change is scheduled to take place in 2023.
A Holistic Fitness Approach for Space Force
On March 16, a memo written by Patricia Mulcahy, the Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Personnel was sent out to Guardians informing them of the new change. In the memo, she said, “It is time we implement a data-driven, research-informed, holistic health and fitness approach to increase the wellness and readiness of the force to meet these challenges.”
The Space Force also told members they are creating a three-part health and fitness program focusing on promoting physical activity, performance medicine principles, and increased education and awareness. Although limited details have been given on how the Space Force will track its members, the memo does highlight the plan will be using wearable technology and a software solution paired with fitness routines. The goal is to motivate members and their leaders to increase performance all year long instead of having members prepare for a test once a year.
Beta Testers for new Space Force Program
Currently, the Space Force is testing out this new program. Beta testers are trying out Garmin watches and Oura rings to see how well they fit into their everyday lives. The beta testers will be assessing and providing feedback to help improve the system created. Wearable technology isn’t hard to imagine as a useful tool – no one needs a beta tester to say that. The issue is that wearable technology needs to meet DoD standards for functioning within a SCIF, which is where many Guardians work. If the Bluetooth and microphones can’t be disabled, we may have a problem for service members who spend the majority of their time in a SCIF. And if the watch or ring batteries die while you’re at the office, you can’t charge it because the charging cables aren’t allowed onsite.
Gen. Jay Raymond, Chief of Space Operations has been using the system, and he said, “For me, it’s been really good. If I ate a late dinner, I didn’t sleep as well because my heartbeat didn’t go down as fast at night.” He followed on to say, “I have gotten a better night’s sleep because I’m aware of those [details], which hopefully makes me more effective in my job.”
Making the Transition
As for FY2022, all Guardians will complete a diagnostic fitness assessment using the current Air Force Physical Fitness Program. The fitness assessment will not be used to determine retention or promotion eligibility; nor will the assessment be used as a basis for discipline or administrative action. Members transferring from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps may use their physical assessment from their previous branch. The new program guidance does not apply to those in Basic Military Training, ROTC, Officer Training Schools, the U.S. Air Force Academy, or other accession sources.
The Army made major changes to their physical fitness test, Army Combat Fitness Test, in 2019. There were a number of problems with rollouts and unforeseen issues that continue to plague the Army today. Everyone will be watching the Space Force move forward with creating a whole new way to track fitness for Guardians.
