The Air Force is making changes to enhance its physical fitness testing, according to a release. These modifications take effect on Oct. 1, states the Aug. 21 release. The most significant among them deals with the abdominal circumference portion of the physical fitness test that measures an airman’s body composition. “In the future, if an airman fails the AC portion of the test, and passes each of the other three components, we’ll measure that airman using the body mass index taping guidance in [Defense Department] instructions,” said Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh in an Aug. 20 letter informing airmen of the changes. “If the airman meets the DOD BMI standard, they pass the PFT,” he said. The other changes realign the fitness appeal process back to wing commanders, adjust passing standards for airmen who can only test on one component of assessment, and change and simplify the walk test, states the release. (Washington, D.C., report by SSgt. David Salinitri)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.