The Air Force has yet to release its new physical fitness instruction, but it plans to implement on Jan. 1 the new twice yearly testing regimen announced this summer and may eliminate required unit physical training sessions. However, service officials have said the new rules should give unit commanders more flexibility to suit mission schedules, which in many cases likely will include unit training. One incentive is that major commands will regularly review fitness metrics—pass and fail rates—for each unit. Unit commanders also now will be able to take administrative action for first-time failures and could recommend discharge following two consecutive failures. To ensure testing consistency, the Air Force will use centrally located fitness assessment cells operated by trained civilian employees. The basic test comprises a 1.5 mile run and a minute each of pushups and sit-ups—the highly erratic scoring bike test is gone. (Also see Air Force Personnel Center Fitness Program Web page)
A new fast-track approval process for software on Defense Department networks will use AI tools to radically shorten a process that currently takes months or years, Acting Pentagon Chief Information Officer Katie Arrington said April 23.