Separate Physical Training Standards

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Pages: 3

This paper will advocate for the continued use of separate physical training (PT) standards for men and women. It will discuss what the PT standards measure, the increased physical demands of career fields and the difference between age and gender standards.
2. Physical fitness is defined as “the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue and with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and to meet unforeseen emergencies.”1 The beginning of the fitness program started in World War I when soldiers were showing up, unfit for duty, unable to walk a mile in gear and unprepared for the physical demands of combat.2 The original intent to have a standardized PT test was combat readiness. However, with career fields imposing their own training standards that require different levels of personal fitness to pass, the PT standards are now used primarily as baseline measures for general fitness. Per the Air Force Instruction 36-2905, Fitness Program, this is a tool used by commanders to assess the overall fitness of its people.3
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Current events show that the United States (US) military needs to maintain readiness to react to a state of emergency. Despite the differences in physical demands within different Air Force Specialty Codes, all Airmen need to be able to perform at a certain level. Brian Zeit gives an example of a 135 pound female medic who is required to ensure the safe care of wounded men and safe evacuation. If the female medic is not able to physically evacuate a patient, the female becomes a liability to the group instead of an asset.4 Normal day operations may not require an action like this. As part of the job description, the physical capabilities to perform need to be met by