Army unveils Combat Field Test with new fitness assessment: 'A critical step forward'

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks with Katie Miller about the higher physical standards he's set for the military from the Pentagon. (Credit: The Katie Miller Podcast) The Army announced in a news release earlier this week that it is rolling out a new combat fitness test for frontline troops as leaders push to strengthen battlefield readiness amid ongoing recruiting challenges. The Combat Field Test (CFT), which is age and gender-neutral, applies to soldiers in combat specialties, is designed to mirror the physical demands of modern warfare and signals a shift toward stricter, role-specific standards as the Army looks to boost readiness across its ranks. The move comes after the Army missed recruiting targets in recent years, including falling roughly 15,000 soldiers short in 2022, according to U.S. Army Recruiting Command data, as leaders work to