On the heels of several fitness-related announcements from the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy will implement a new running test for recruits as of Jan. 1, 2018.
Passing the test will be a requirement for enlistment, according to a Stars and Stripes report.
Male recruits will be required to complete a 1.5-mile run in 16 minutes, 10 seconds; female recruits will have 18 minutes, seven seconds.
Recruits who fail will have 48 hours to retest. If they fail a second time, they will not be able to enlist.
“It is the responsibility of each recruit to work hard and maintain all Navy standards,” Capt. Mike Garrick, the training command’s top officer, told Stars and Stripes. “Physical fitness is one of the greatest predictors of sailor success. Before they arrive to boot camp, recruits are expected to train to meet the physical fitness standards.”
At least 60 percent of recruits do not pass their initial physical readiness test, Naval Service Training Command commander Rear Adm. Mike Bernacchi told The Virginian-Pilot. He said this failure rate takes time away from other critical learning activities, adding that physical readiness is one of the “key indicators of future success in the Navy."
The Navy's readiness test already includes push-ups, curl-ups and a 450-meter swim.
In November, the Army announced a strength-focused overhaul to its Army Combat Readiness Test (ACRT) that will be implemented in 2020. The Army also introduced a new Occupational Physical Assessment Test (OPAT) in January 2017 that places a greater emphasis on Army applicants' physical strength and aerobic abilities.