Military Review English Edition September-October 2014 | Page 15
PHYSICAL READINESS TRAINING
U.S. Army soldiers perform the supine bicycle
exercise during a group physical training session at Fort Eustis, Va., 22 April 2014.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Teresa J.C. Aber)
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Injury rates from training for recruits and seasoned soldiers.
Perceived lack of effectiveness and efficiency of
current U.S. Army PRT protocols.
Lack of applicability of the current Army
Physical Fitness Test (APFT) to combat.
Numerous voices contribute to this discussion
on a broad professional level. U.S. Army Command
and General Staff College students have written
extensively on the topic.1 The Army recently updated its doctrinal guidance in Field Manual (FM)
7-22, Army Physical Readiness Training. It is researching and developing a new APFT.2 Many units
at the battalion and company level implement PRT
programs to meet specialized training objectives
MILITARY REVIEW September-October 2014
consistent with the unit’s mission-essential task list.
In addition, soldiers individually contribute to the
discussion when they use popular exercise programs
such as those available online at www.GymJones.
com, www.Crossfit.com, www.MilitaryAthlete.com,
www.MtnAthlete.com, www.Sealfit.com, and www.
CrossfitEndurance.com. Soldiers choose exercise
programs based on their own understanding of the
physical requirements of their jobs.
Analysis
The road to the U.S. Army’s current PRT approach
began in the late 1990s as Army leadership recognized the need to provide updated PRT and doctrinal
guidance. Researchers from the U.S. Army Center for
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