The U.S. Air Force considers the Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) as one of the most critical evaluations that demonstrates operational effectiveness among its servicemen and women. The PFA is designed to assess the physical health and readiness of an individual as it measures the Airman’s cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and core endurance. The program also seeks to encourage members to participate in active physical training throughout the year.
For cardiorespiratory fitness, card heart is assessed using a 1.5-mile traditional run, a 20-meter High Aerobic Multi-shuttle (HAMR) run, or, for those only on medical restrictions, a 2.0-kilometer walk. Muscular strength is evaluated with one minute of push-ups or two minutes of hand-release push-ups. Core endurance is either one-minute cop-sit-ups, two-minute cross-leg reverse crunches, or a timed forearm plank.
All components must be done in a single sitting. PFA has to be completed in 3 hours, with an order involving rests between tasks. The evaluation is conducted on a norm-referenced basis where the servicemen and women are divided into categories, which are: aged divided classified as Excellent, Satisfactory, and Unsatisfactory. Together, these PFA results qualify the participant for the arms and laps test commonly referred to as the “Qualifying Score.”
From an ergo-cycle test, the PFA has evolved to the current multi-component assessment, which was implemented with the “Fit to Fight” program in 2004. Recent changes eliminated the waist measurement of the evaluation while continuing the emphasis on overall fitness. Though intended to be sustained throughout the year, some analyses indicate the program, which is at the core of the military’s fitness culture, serves more as a reactive testing system instead of an active fitness cultivation initiative.