1988 active Army physical fitness survey

Area of Science:

• Military Science
• Sports Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• The U.S. Army Physical Fitness School (USAPFS) was responsible for assessing the physical fitness of active-duty soldiers.
• The Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) served as the primary metric for evaluating soldier fitness levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure the physical fitness of the active U.S. Army across various demographics and specialties.
• To identify trends in physical fitness, including improvements and areas of concern, since previous assessments.

Main Methods:

• Data collection occurred at 14 U.S. Army installations nationwide between October 1 and November 30, 1988.
• A total of 6,022 active Army soldiers (5,346 male, 676 female) aged 17-52 participated.
• Participants represented 60 different military occupational specialties (MOSs).

Main Results:

• Overall fitness results were generally favorable, with senior age groups, particularly females, demonstrating strong performance.
• Improvements in muscular strength and endurance conditioning were noted compared to 1984 data.
• Younger soldiers (17-21) exhibited concerningly high failure rates: 16.6% of males and 28.8% of females failed the 2-mile run, with overall failure rates of 29.0% for males and 36.0% for females.

Conclusions:

• While overall fitness shows improvement, the poor performance of young soldiers is a significant concern.
• Potential contributing factors for lower youth fitness include inadequate fitness leadership and motivation.
• The study suggests that a substantial portion of soldiers, especially younger ones, may lack the physical capacity required for the demands of warfare.