The Air Force announced that changes to the service’s physical fitness test will go into effect on Oct. 21—nearly a month later than had been planned due to the federal government’s partial shutdown. They include extending waist measurement testing; realigning the process of appealing fitness results back to wing commanders; adjusting passing standards for airmen who can only test on one component of the assessment; and simplifying the walk test, states an Oct. 18 service release. “We have a tremendous program that has fundamentally changed the Air Force’s overall fitness level over the past few years,” said Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh. “The PFT itself is not going to change, but even the best program can be improved upon, so we are making changes . . . to enhance the overall program,” he said.
Hurricane Hunters with the Air Force and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are struggling to keep up with a rising number of storms, but a government watchdog says both agencies need to refine their data-tracking efforts and improve interagency communication between its most senior leaders to develop a cohesive…