Since the Space Force’s creation, Guardians have been taking the Air Force Physical Fitness Test while awaiting new standards from the Space Force. Since March 16, 2022 when a memo written by Patricia Mulcahy, the Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Personnel highlighting the Space Force’s goal of creating a holistic fitness program, there has been little information on how the Space Force would implement their fitness program. But that will change in the coming weeks.
Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman said at the Air and Space Forces Association conference in Colorado, “I think we’ll have something on the street hopefully, within the next 30 days or so. It’s taking time we’ve got to get it right.”
The Space Force plans to roll out a pilot program for year-round physical fitness within the next two months.
Doing Things Differently
And taking their time on this new approach makes sense. Currently, the other branches of service require members to take a yearly or bi-annual test, completing various exercises based on branch requirements to gain a pass or fail score. The Army recently changed their fitness test to the Army Combat Fitness Test and had an array of problems with the rollout, including lack of equipment and challenges with their gender neutral standards.
The Space Force is doing away with a standard test and instead want to track fitness on a year-round model. The Space Force is planning to use wearable fitness devices like Oura Rings and Garmin watches so they can get an overall health assessment instead of a test where members can create unhealthy habits in order to meet general fitness requirements – by either only working out to prepare for the the fitness test or taking extreme measure to meet height and weight standards.
Instead, the Space Force wants to focus on overall health throughout the year. And they are not only worried about physical health but mental health as well because of the nature of most of the work Guardians do causing them to sit primarily behind a desk. Being able to show strength and endurance isn’t as important as general health and wellness.
Space Force Has to Get the Data, Security, and Privacy Piece Right
The Space Force shared they are no longer working with the company FitRankings to devise their new program and instead they are leveraging the Air Force Research Laboratory. Spokesperson Maj. Tanya Downsworth said, “ The Space Force is leveraging the Air Force Research [Laboratory] to assess guardians’ physical fitness and to identify metrics in determining when guardians need additional fitness support.”
Because of the nature of the work guardians do, there has been some discussion on how wearable devices will work with so many members working in classified areas. But there are devices that meet the standards so that they can be worn in a SCIF, and it is something that Space Force leaders are tracking and working through because the dynamics of what devices can be used is so complicated. Even when members meet the standards laid out by DoD, other rules can trump those guidelines.
The second concern that has been raised is the matter of data security and personal privacy. It is one thing to take a physical fitness test once or twice a year and have the results recorded. It is a big leap to having your fitness, sleep cycle, and overall health tracked every day.
But leaders from the Space Force are thinking about those things as well. “Protecting the data is important. There’s an amount of rigor here that is required, and we’re being very careful, very deliberate as we walk through policy… so that we can make sure that we do it right.” Towberman said.
It will be interesting to watch how the Space Force rolls out this new program and to see if their slow roll out means they have thought through all the problems guardians may face with this new way of tracking their health and fitness.
