JUNE 5, 2026 – Arkansas National Guardsmen with the 239th Brigade Engineer Battalion took a break from digging trenches in the training area at Fort Chaffee to conduct a combat field test, June 3, 2026.
The CFT was offered as a diagnostic fitness test over the first few days of annual training, and it was open to any Soldier regardless of their occupational specialty or unit.
“You have more of an opportunity to cheer people on,” said Capt. Joshua McCormick, commander, company B, 239th Brigade Engineer Battalion about the camaraderie he saw during the CFT. “Like, you have more breaks in it to where you can cheer your buddy on and push them.”
The combat field test is a mandatory annual physical assessment specifically for Soldiers serving in 24 high-demand combat military occupational specialties. This test does not replace the standard Army Fitness Test. Soldiers serving in combat occupational fields must pass both assessments to maintain their status.
“The lifting [of sandbags] is not too hard because it just gases you out, makes you feel like you ran ten miles instead of just two,” said Pvt. Jayden Thomas, 239th Brigade Engineer Battalion. “So I’ll probably do a lot more cardio and probably some deadlifts to help out with sandbags a little bit.”
The CFT enforces a strict, gender-neutral, and age-neutral standard, meaning every soldier must meet the exact same physical benchmarks.
“For me, this is more about just not stopping and keeping up your endurance than anything else. As long as you keep moving, you’ll be fine” said Cadet Abigail Lewis, 239th Brigade Engineer Battalion. Lewis is in a combat occupational specialty that will require her to pass the CFT yearly. “It definitely keeps me to a standard to make sure I’m physically fit. I’m in a combat MOS (Military Occupational Specialty), and the fitness standards really should be raised to make sure you’re prepared incase you’re called in to go overseas.”
Soldiers perform the entire evaluation in their standard combat uniform with combat boots, removing only their headgear, body armor, and helmet. Many Soldiers perform the test in a “sanitized uniform” meaning they remove any unit patches, flags, and pens before competing.
The assessment requires participants to complete a demanding sequence of seven events back-to-back within a continuous 30-minute time limit.
The seven-event sequence is designed to simulate tactical battlefield movements and physical exhaustion.
It begins with a 1-mile run, immediately followed by 30 dead-stop push-ups and a 100-meter sprint. Soldiers then transition to heavy lifting by hoisting a 40-pound sandbag 16 times onto a 65-inch platform, carrying two 5-gallon water cans for 50 meters, and executing a high-crawl and rush movement drill before finishing the circuit with a grueling final 1-mile run.
Story by 1st Sgt. Jim Heuston
Arkansas National Guard Public Affairs Office