Sgt. 1st. Class George Madison, a representative for the Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), briefs supply specialists from the 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade on the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) kits that they are receiving to train up and conduct the ACFT in their units March 12, 2020, on Fort Drum, N.Y. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brandon Cox)
10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade receives Army Combat Fitness Test fielding
Sgt. Brandon Cox
10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs Office
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (March 20, 2020) – Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (LI), received and inventoried their new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) kits on March 12 at the Fort Drum Force Integration Facility.
The ACFT is the U.S. Army's new physical fitness test that will better connect fitness with combat readiness for all Soldiers. This kit will allow units the opportunity to incorporate this new equipment into their existing physical readiness training programs.
"We are getting these kits so that our units can start training up for the new ACFT and so they can ultimately start conducting their own tests in the future," said Warrant Officer Nicholas Ayers, a property account technician for 10th Sustainment Brigade.
The new kits consist of the following items:
* Hex bar
* Bumper plates
* Nylon sleds with pull straps
* 10-pound medicine ball
* Kettlebells
* Measuring tape
The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) distributes these kits worldwide to ensure the successful implementation of the test.
"We go to all locations throughout the Army and facilitate the Force Modernization to make sure the equipment is serviceable and there is no issue with the distribution," said Sgt. 1st. Class George Madison, the TACOM Field and Materiel representative from the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan.
The ACFT is designed to replace the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) with a gender- and age-neutral assessment that will more closely align with the physical demands Soldiers will face in combat. Field tests for the ACFT have already begun, and by October 2020, all Regular Army, Army National Guard, and U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers will be required to take the test for record.
"We don't currently have any of this equipment at the company, so this will be really beneficial for me and my Soldiers to help train up for the ACFT," said Staff Sgt. Dylan Damiano, a unit supply specialist from the 110th Composite Truck Company, 548th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.
The 10th Sustainment Brigade received 53 ACFT kits, which will be distributed across the formation down to the company level.