The U.S. Navy will double its annual physical fitness assessments from one to two per year starting in 2026, and will process sailors for administrative separation after three PFA failures within four years, with some exceptions and opportunities for special assessments. The policy also includes changes to body composition assessments and applies to active-duty and reserve personnel, with past failures being wiped clean from January 2026.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced new strict fitness standards for the U.S. military, including daily workouts, biannual fitness tests, and gender-neutral benchmarks, aiming to improve overall military readiness and eliminate overweight personnel.
The nominee for Army chief of staff, Gen. Randy George, expressed his support for tougher and gender-neutral physical fitness standards during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Army has been considering setting gender-neutral fitness standards for combat arms roles, and there is a proposal in the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to direct the Army to do so. However, the Senate NDAA includes a proposal to revert back to the old Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). The nominee's confirmation could be delayed due to a Republican senator's hold on military officer confirmations.
The Navy has launched a new program called the "Future Sailor Preparatory Course" that will allow recruits who don't meet physical fitness or weight standards at enlistment 90 days to get into an acceptable range before shipping off to boot camp. The program is similar to the "Future Soldier Prep Course" that was expanded by the Army earlier this year. Military leaders have blamed a tightening jobs market as the primary driver of the crisis, though some critics have pointed to the military's alleged turn to a more "woke" culture as contributing to the recruiting problems.
