Responding to criticism from some feminine troops and Congress, the Army has altered its newest fitness test, officers mentioned Monday.

Since 1980, all active-duty troopers have been required to take a test that measures their means to do situps, push-ups and a two-mile run. In latest years, the Army realized that troopers lacked the higher physique energy for a lot of combat-related duties, and that many have been injuring themselves as a result of they weren’t match sufficient even in coaching. It launched a new test with a number of totally different workout routines, and likewise sought to take gender out of the scoring equation.

However, fearing that the new requirements have been too tough, Congress mandated that the test not be used for promotions and different official capacities, and known as for extra analysis and knowledge assortment.

One part of the test prompted explicit angst: a leg tuck in which troopers have been required to dangle from a bar and tuck their legs to their chest. Soldiers will now have the option to select, with out penalty, between a leg tuck and a plank to test core energy, officers introduced Monday.

“Army senior leaders are listening to what our soldiers are saying,” mentioned Maj. Gen. Lonnie G. Hibbard, the commanding basic for the United States Army Center for Initial Military Training.

The Army is additionally contemplating a new analysis system with 5 classes — inexperienced, bronze, silver, gold and platinum — which may rank troopers’ performances in opposition to others of their very own gender, a nod to the aggressive nature of fitness testing that prevails in Army tradition.

For now, test efficiency is not going to be used administratively. The Army is aiming to use the test for passing and promotion functions in March 2022 however will want extra knowledge earlier than transferring ahead, officers mentioned.