New Combat Fitness Test a true ‘gut check’

[CommunityEditor]

ARLINGTON, Va. — The commander of Henderson Hall passed on the first run. So did the command sergeant major. At 47 and 43, respectively, that’s no small feat considering the unforgiving rigors of the Corps’ new Combat Fitness Test.

And both Col. William Lietzau and Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Green finished with the contents of their stomachs still intact.

Not so for 22-year-old Cpl. Jacob Pena, who learned the hard way that a full breakfast, a bottle of Gatorade and the CFT make for unpleasant company.

Col. Brian McGuire, physical readiness programs officer at Training and Education Command in Quantico, Va., said Pena’s constitution is not the first to be flushed by the CFT.

“If vomiting during the event was an injury, we’d have an injury problem,” McGuire said. “But it isn’t, so we don’t.” Pena was applauded by the roughly 100 Marines gathered in the 90-degree heat Monday morning on a patch of Henderson Hall grass to watch six Marines perform the test created to prepare leathernecks for the uncertain demands of combat. Soon, the CFT will be well known from the Carolinas to Okinawa.

“I think it’s more of a gut check,” Pena said roughly 20 minutes after his battle with nausea. “It’s not impossible, but if you suck at it, you need to start preparing a lot more.”

The Combat Fitness Test is one part of Commandant Gen. James Conway’s move to forge a leaner Corps.

Unlike the traditional Physical Fitness Test that measures endurance and strength with pull-ups, crunches and a distance run, the Combat Fitness Test is designed to measure abilities demanded of Marines in a war zone.

McGuire conducted an hour-long introduction to the CFT and how it will complement the 36-year-old Physical Fitness Test.

Monday’s demonstration was the first in a series for McGuire and his team of CFT experts, who will travel the globe explaining the test to Marines.

When the test is implemented Oct. 1, it will be pass/fail. Starting Oct. 1, 2009, however, it will become a three-tier scored test that will be factored into cutting scores, meaning poor scores could damage promotion potential.

The CFT takes only about 20 minutes to perform, but it’s a challenge.

“Taken separately, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be that difficult,” said Lietzau. “Suddenly, when you string these things together, you get more winded than you think you should.”

The CFT starts with a 880-yard run, followed by two minutes lifting a 30-pound ammo can.

The third and final installment is where Marines test their mettle. The “maneuver under fire” drill is part obstacle course, part pre-season football conditioning glazed with a unique Corps mindset.

Participants run between cones, haul a mock casualty using two different carries and sprint, while saddled with two 30-pound ammo cans, the approximate distance “from the tree line to a helo.” Download a diagram of the obtacle course at http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/combatfitnesstest.

Lance Cpl. Antonio Young, 21, of Decatur, Ga., was among the fortunate ones who simply watched the six Marines perform the CFT on Monday. But he’s done it in the past and knows it will challenge even the fittest Marine.

“It sucks. It hurts. And I work out a lot. A whole lot,” Young said. “The third part is hell on wheels. It’s so long it wears on your mind more than your body.”


Article: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news...tness_081808w/

[UnCommon Sense]

Originally Posted by CommunityEditor

[i]Col. Brian McGuire, physical readiness programs officer at Training and Education Command in Quantico, Va., said Pena’s constitution is not the first to be flushed by the CFT.

“If vomiting during the event was an injury, we’d have an injury problem,” McGuire said. “But it isn’t, so we don’t.”

So, vomiting induced by physical activity is healthy and acceptable?

I wonder how many Marines will have to develop heart, circulatory, and gastro-intestinal problems before someone realizes what's going on.

Some of these people need to skip the gut check and go straight for the sanity check.

The kid that vomited needs to plan better...other than that the test is easy if you train like you should...if you run around base in your disco shorts and do 3 pullups then your a weak sister anyway. I hope this test pushes the limits.

My question is a little more important than a Mairne exhausting themselves to the point of puking. My question is why when we are performing a so called "Combat Physical Fitness Test" is there such a gap between males and female Marines. Are we not ALL supposed to be a basic rifleman? If this is a Combat Test, should we all not perform the same? Or are the females only going to be required to save other females in combat? The other annual combat training(rifle, emp, etc.) are all the same. Its bad enough that the PFT is not equal, now we are moving backwords by making combat standars unequal. I dont have a problem with female Marines at all, but I do feel that if we are to give them the same respect and compete together for promotion, we should all have the same requirements.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

My question is a little more important than a Mairne exhausting themselves to the point of puking. My question is why when we are performing a so called "Combat Physical Fitness Test" is there such a gap between males and female Marines. Are we not ALL supposed to be a basic rifleman? If this is a Combat Test, should we all not perform the same? Or are the females only going to be required to save other females in combat? The other annual combat training(rifle, emp, etc.) are all the same. Its bad enough that the PFT is not equal, now we are moving backwords by making combat standars unequal. I dont have a problem with female Marines at all, but I do feel that if we are to give them the same respect and compete together for promotion, we should all have the same requirements.

Wake up devil dog, females skate as usual, you would have a problem with them if they were covering your six. Not all marines are rifleman, walk through the HQMC areas and see some fat pills with alot of rank on their collars. this test will hopefully weed out the fakers.

As a USMCR type with 21 years in out here in the Midwest away from any base / station, I'm just rying to figure out how and where to set up my training course. gues the local park will have to do. As for weeding out the non-believers, I agree. If I had a job that gave me 1 - 2 hours a day to PT over the lunch hour (as I understand many in the Capital Region and Quantio have) there'd be no excuse for being a 'food blister' in Charlies. I've already heard one or two fellow Marines in my unit state that the CRT will probably be the reason that they leve our Corps. No problem here... althopugh I'm not quite done yet serving my country (I still love it so much that I give up one three day weekend a month and at least 2 weeks a year w/ my wife and three kids AND pay my air fare / car rental out of pocket to be part of something bigger then corporate America) let's make room for the younger Marines. ...Mo-T-Vated at 44

[Gator70]

What's disapointing is seeing the negative reaction to this course, by people already making excuses, unfortunately by so called NCO's and SNCO's. This is what the Marine Corpse needs and I can't wait to see al lthe non-hackers fall flat on their faces. If you can't hang get out.

[USMC_8156]

Originally Posted by Gator70

What's disapointing is seeing the negative reaction to this course, by people already making excuses, unfortunately by so called NCO's and SNCO's. This is what the Marine Corpse needs and I can't wait to see al lthe non-hackers fall flat on their faces. If you can't hang get out.

Ever heard of "a bitching Marine is a happy Marine"?

[Variable Wind]

Originally Posted by USMC_8156

Ever heard of "a bitching Marine is a happy Marine"?

For a change of pace, I will agree with you and take it a step further

A bitching Marine is a well adjusted Marine...well adjusted of course being relative to you jarheads.

Variable Wind and USMC-8156 both get it, you obviously don't friend. No ribbon required here. Per tooting my horn and 'complaining'... that wasn't my intent.
Per retiring, I'm not quite ready for that yet... working with other Marines young and old has me hooked (have yet to find a 'civilian' job that offers the same sense of brotherhood, besides I'll be lucky to live to age 60 to draw that military pension anyway).
As for claiming to be more patriotic then the next guy or gal, those are your words, not mine. Honestly, I've never given it much thought until now. Serving is just one way for me to 'walk the walk' and not just 'talk the talk when it comes to patriotism. I believe that the difference comes when Uncle Sam tells you to put your life on hold for about 7 - 12 months to go to War. There's a bunch of patriotic Americans that have done it voluntarily and continue to do so both as active duty, reservist or guard members. (You may be one of them, if so...Thanks)
Yes, I won't argue that my close friends in the skilled trades (bricklayers are called 'Masons' by the way) are some of the proudest, most patriotic and hard working folks in this great Nation (and many have already served in the trenches) but I see a little bit of a difference between our levels of sacrifice. ... Gotta get back to work.
PS: I like the term Devil Dog... too bad people use it in the wrong light like you.