The Coast Guard will soon establish a physical fitness test (PFT) mandate for all military members. Before that though, all military members must take a physical fitness assessment (PFA) by December 31, 2025.
“Readiness starts with the physical and mental readiness of every Coast Guard man and woman,” ADM Kevin Lunday, the Acting-Commandant, and MCPOCG Phil Waldron explained in an email to the workforce. “On that cornerstone we build the readiness of the crew, the unit, and the force.”
Units will run all fit-for-duty members through the PFA using the Boat Crew Physical Fitness Standards.
Head over to check out the Physical Fitness Assessment Policy Page (CAC required) to get familiar with the exercises, Review the resources, and check out the FAQs . The Boat Crew PFT also recently changed. Now it’s planks instead of sit-ups. And, for the cardio exercise, you can do the 1.5-mile run or the 12-minute swim or the 2000-meter row.
The Coast Guard will use the consolidated (and anonymized) results of the PFA to determine what the future PFT policy will be and how it will be implemented.
Units will report PFA results using the Physical Fitness Tracking Tool. Once unit representatives set up their unit(s) in the tool, they can enter and update individual results over the course of the testing period and then verify that testing is complete.
The results of your PFA are for YOU – so you to know where you are against the PFT standards. Step one in drawing up a plan is to establish where you are – or, for you nautical folks, take a fix.
Many of you do the boat crew PFT every six-months already. Many of you do well more than that just because. Whether you regularly do the PFT or not, take this time as an opportunity for your own personal improvement.
Need some help?
Your local Resilience Coordinator can help out! Resilience Coordinators have the information and resources to point you in the right direction so you can crush the PFT.
And Coast Guard military members can now access Military OneSource’s deep resources! Check out their Fun & Fitness MilLife Guide, the Nutrition and Fitness MilLife Guide, or reach out for some one-on-one Health & Wellness Coaching through chat or call.
Any change can cause stress. And the future implementation of a fleet-wide PFT will impact people differently. However, if you’re uncomfortable and feeling antsy, you are not alone. We will push out the details and decisions about the mandatory PFT soon as we can to keep you informed.
Coast Guard readiness starts with personal readiness. Together, we will be a stronger, more ready and capable fighting force.
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