As the United States Coast Guard rolls out its new physical fitness testing requirements, those in senior command roles will also be required to take part. According to a report from Navy Times, the yet-to-be-released 29-page guide on PT and fitness will lay out the twice-annual requirements for all service members beginning July 1, including Coast Guard admirals.
In January, the U.S. Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in peacetime, announced it would launch its Physical Readiness Program (PRP), which mandated daily physical training, biannual physical fitness tests, and Body Composition (BC) compliance.
Beginning on July 1, the RRP will enter a new phase in which members must meet established goals and be included in their evaluation and reports to influence promotions, advancement, and special assignments. Service members will be provided with four opportunities per week during duty hours to exercise.
No Fat Admirals
It was last September, during a meeting with senior leadership, that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that all joint force members – from new privates to the Joint Chiefs of Staff – must take physical training (PT) exams and meet fitness requirements. It came as Hegseth suggested it was a bad look to see “fat generals and admirals” in the halls of the Pentagon.
“Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world,” Hegseth stated. “It’s a bad look. It is bad, and it’s not who we are.”
As noted, the Coast Guard isn’t a part of the DoD in peacetime, but it is instilling similar guidelines to ensure its personnel are fit and ready to accomplish the mission.
New Testing Requirements
The new testing will require Coast Guard personnel to do as many push-ups as possible in one minute, hold a forearm plank for as long as possible (up to 3 minutes and 24 seconds), and complete a choice of approved cardio activity. That could include a 1.5-mile timed run, a 2,000-meter row, or a 500-yard/450-meter swim.
The tests will become officially accountable for officers on July 1, followed by enlisted personnel later.
The PT tests will also be bi-annual, and scores will be factored into official performance and promotion reporting, including Officer Evaluation Reports (OERs) and Flag Fitness Reports (FFRs).
To prepare for the tests, in January, the Coast Guard announced it would direct commanders and supervisors to “allow members to perform physical fitness training during the duty day to the maximum extent practicable,” replacing the previous guidance of three days per week.
“The Coast Guard is doubling down on fitness – not as an extra task, but as a fundamental part of who we are as a military service,” the USCG explained.
Gold Medal Efforts
The Coast Guard has also announced that those who earn top scores will receive a medal for being the top finisher in each of the mandatory three-event fitness assessments.
“What we wanted to do is introduce, ‘Okay, here’s what you’ll be held accountable for, but here’s where you can excel,’” Capt. Chris Hulser, chief of staff and executive assistant to the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, told Military Times in an interview this month. “The Army actually has a ribbon and a medal for physical readiness excellence. We’ll have those things set up as well, just to try and get people to create a culture of winning.”
Those who win top honors this year won’t get the award until next year, as the physical medal is still in development.
The U.S. Army has also updated its PT test, and badge criteria are yet to be clarified.
Hulser also confirmed that the Coast Guard invested in approximately 1,200 pieces of equipment, including rowers and treadmills to be used in the tests, but that the investment was money well spent, as it is meant to ensure that everyone in the service can pass with flying colors – even if everyone won’t get a participation medal.
To help Coast Guard personnel meet the goals, the Coast Guard seeks to have 3,000 physical readiness leaders (PRLs) in place across its 50,000 members.
“These 3,000 people will be distributed across the Coast Guard, coordinating those activities, administering the PFT, and then also helping people remediate,” Hulser further told the Military Times. “Because this isn’t the type of thing where, if you fail, you’re separated from the Coast Guard the next day. We want to give people a lot of time to train to a standard so that they can be as healthy as they can be.”
The new guidance on PT and fitness is set to be released next month.
