Latest news with #RangerCourse
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
18 Army Rangers suspended for allegedly firing blanks at Florida beach
Eighteen soldiers with the 6th Ranger Training Battalion have been temporarily suspended as instructors pending the outcome of an investigation into a May 16 incident in Florida, during which they allegedly fired blank rounds from their weapons at a public beach, said Jennifer S. Gunn, a spokeswoman for the Army Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia. Currently, the Ranger instructors cannot train students going through the final stage of the U.S. Army Ranger Course at Camp Rudder, located on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Gunn told Task & Purpose on Thursday. The 6th Ranger Training Battalion runs the swamp phase of the Ranger Course, but is not within the 75th Ranger Regiment. The May 16 incident at Crab Island in Destin, Florida, led to at least two 911 calls and several social media posts. Videos posted on social media showed men in military uniforms with Ranger tabs and blank adapters on their weapons firing at least two bursts into the air. In one of the videos, a woman who is off camera can be heard shouting after the first burst, 'Is that real?' Michael Ingram, a charter boat captain who was at Crab Island at the time, told Task & Purpose that the soldiers did not give any advance warning that they intended to fire their weapons, prompting several boaters to take cover. 'This is unacceptable because there are so many real mass shootings going on in America each year,' Ingram told Task & Purpose for a previous story. 'You can't be joking about it.' Gunn confirmed that the suspended Ranger instructors participated in the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival, which was held on the evening of May 16 at nearby Fort Walton Beach. The festival included a mock sea battle, in which the Rangers fired blanks while riding in small boats to 'capture' Billy Bowlegs. 'This was the only approved festival activity that involved the Army Rangers firing their weapons,' Devon Ravine, a spokesman for the city of Fort Walton Beach, told Task & Purpose on Monday. 'The pirate festival, he said, was about five miles from Crab Island. 'We do not know what occurred at Crab Island on Friday, and cannot comment, except to say that it was not in any way a part of the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival.' Army to eliminate 2 Security Force Assistance Brigades, reassign experienced soldiers Why the Army's new XM7 rifle reignited a debate over volume of fire Air Force delay on separation and retirement orders isn't 'stop loss,' defense official says F-35's close call over Yemen raises questions about how it's used An Army unit's 'extreme use of profanity' was so bad, they made a rule about it
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ranger School to implement new physical fitness assessment
FORT BENNING, Ga. () — Soldiers looking to become some of the most elite in the U.S. Army will be assessed with new physical benchmarks, starting in late April. The U.S. Army Infantry School announced today that it is replacing the physical fitness assessment to enter the Ranger Course, also referred to as Ranger School. The new Ranger Physical Fitness Assessment (RPFA) prioritizes functional fitness, aiming to mimic the types of movement Rangers need in the field. Implementation begins on April 21 with class 06-25. 'Push-ups and sit-ups are no longer the Army standard,' U.S. Army Infantry School Commander Brig. Gen. Phil Kiniery said in a release about the new assessment. Ranger School students will now complete a two-phase RPFA on the first day of the Ranger Course. Both phases must be completed in uniform (OCPs) and boots, a modification from the Expert Infantry Badge Physical Fitness Assessment (EIB PFA), which the new Ranger School assessment also pulls from. The first phase of the assessment includes seven events, which must be completed in 14 minutes or less in the format below: 800-meter run 30x dead-stop push-ups 100-meter sprint 16x 40-pound sandbag lifts onto a 68-inch platform, 50-meter farmers' carry with two five-gallon Army water cans weighing 40-pounds each 50-meter movement drill consisting of a 25-meter high crawl and 25-meter 3-5 second rush 800-meter run 'The first part of the assessment mimics an operation in that students are moving toward a set of objectives, completing the objectives, and then maneuvering away from the objective,' Kiniery explained. The second phase begins after Ranger Course students change into weather-appropriate physical fitness uniforms. It includes two parts: 4 mile run in a minimum standard time of 32 minutes 6 chin-ups U.S. Army officials say the goal of the new two-part assessment is to get a better feel for which candidates are physically prepared for the rigors of Ranger School. 'We don't want to hurt people,' said U.S. Army official Jennifer Gunn, director of public affairs at Fort Benning, where the first phase of the Ranger Course takes place. Gunn compared the new assessment to a running a marathon. Those who go in untrained risk injury; but those who train, should be prepared to take on the rest of the race, in this case Ranger School. 'This supports functional fitness and echoes the intensity of the events Ranger candidates will complete during the course,' Kiniery said. When it launches in late April, the new assessment will be in an 'operational tryout' phase. Ranger School cadre could still make adjustments to the minimum time standards, based on their observed effectiveness and ability to reduce risk for ingoing Ranger School students. The new assessment replaces the previous Ranger Course physical assessment, which required hopefuls to complete at least 49 push-ups, 59 sit-ups, a five-mile run in under 40 minutes and six chin ups. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ranger School's new fitness test is tougher than ever, but nixes sit-ups
The first test a soldier has to take to earn a Ranger tab just got harder — unless you really hate sit-ups. The Army announced Thursday a completely revamped physical fitness test for Ranger School, which all candidates must pass before reporting and then again on the course's first day. The test runs soldiers through a multitude of 'functional fitness' events, all of which they must complete in a set time period, a major change from the individually graded repetitions of exercises in the old test. One thing soldiers might be glad to see: no more sit-ups, and only 30 modified push-ups. 'Push-ups and sit-ups are no longer the Army standard,' said Brig. Gen. Phil Kiniery, commandant of the Army Infantry School, which is responsible for the Ranger course. The previous Ranger test, he said, was based on the now-defunct Army Physical Fitness Test, and required Ranger School candidates to be at the same level as the 70% percentile of 18-to-20-year-olds, regardless of age. The new test is completed wearing combat uniforms and boots. In 14 minutes, soldiers must complete: An 800-meter run. 30 dead-stop push-ups. a 100-meter sprint. 16 lifts of 40-pound sandbags onto a 68-inch platform. 50-meter 'farmers' carry' of two 40-pound water cans. A 25-meter high crawl, 25-meter three-to-five second rush. A final 800-meter run. After that, soldiers will change into their physical fitness uniform and run four miles within 32 minutes followed by six chin-ups. The old Ranger course assessment consisted of 49 push-ups, 59 sit-ups, a 5-mile run within 40 minutes, and six chin-ups. The new version is a modified version of the Expert Infantry Badge Physical Fitness Assessment, another test that was updated to focus on functional movements. Kiniery said that the test was re-designed to match the Army's newer focus on functional fitness, a style of training focused on large, dynamic, full-body movements, akin to actions in combat. The test is meant to collectively challenge a soldier's stamina, muscular strength, endurance, agility, and coordination, the Army said. 'Our new assessment is better aligned with the Army's focus on training functional fitness and is tailored to help our cadre better assess student potential to successfully complete the Ranger Course safely,' he said. Ranger School is considered one of the Army's toughest training programs, combining leadership challenges and rigorous field training. Soldiers earn their black-and-yellow tab after completing the 61-day course's three phases at Fort Benning, Georgia, in the mountains of North Georgia and in the swampy ranges of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Beginning April 21, soldiers will have to take the new Ranger Physical Fitness Assessment, RPFA, on the school's first day. The new Ranger test mirrors the evolution of the annual service-wide Army Combat Fitness Test. The ACFT — which includes eight functional fitness events — was adopted in 2022 with the goal of preparing soldiers for the physical demands of battle and reducing musculoskeletal injuries. Fitness injuries have long been among the more common injuries suffered by soldiers. In 2021, musculoskeletal injuries made up 81% of all soldier injuries recorded that year, according to the Defense Health Agency. The Marine Corps' Combat Fitness Test, which was introduced in 2008, was also designed as a functional fitness test aimed at testing Marines' physical preparedness for combat operations. Taken every year by all Marines, the test is an 880-yard sprint, 30-pound ammo lift, and a 300-yard 'Maneuver Under Fire' course consisting of a crawl, ammunition resupply, grenade throw, agility run, and a drag and fireman's carry of a simulated casualty. In 2015, the Army opened up Ranger school to women. Over the last decade, women on active duty, and in the National Guard and Reserve have earned their tabs by meeting the grueling fitness requirements — which are the same for all soldiers who go through the school. Former Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told Task & Purpose in December that more than 150 women had graduated from Ranger school. The Army's Master Combat Badges will be coming to soldiers this month Air Force shoots down Houthi drones launched at Navy carrier strike group Medal of Honor recipient depicted in movie 'Glory' erased from Pentagon website 'Saving Private Ryan' didn't make the Army's list of most accurate movie portrayals Army reveals designs for Mountaineering and Mariner Badges
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ranger School Is Getting a New Fitness Assessment
The Army's elite Ranger School, long regarded as one of the most grueling leadership courses in the military, is rolling out a new physical fitness assessment designed to better measure the endurance and strength required to complete the course. The revised standards will debut with Ranger School class 06-25, beginning April 21, marking the culmination of years of development and refinement. Students will be assessed the first day of the course. While the previous assessment focused on individual graded events, the new version is structured as a continuous evaluation of a candidate's ability to sustain high-intensity physical exertion. Instead of isolated graded events, Ranger School students will have a short time to execute two runs and various movement drills generally aligned with the physical fitness test for expert badges. The assessment concludes with a longer run and chin-ups. Read Next: Senate Confirms Investment Banker John Phelan as Navy Secretary "The new [assessment] will allow Ranger course cadre to assess a potential Ranger candidate's ability to endure the physical intensity involved in the Ranger Course, thus reducing risk during the course," Jennifer Gunn, an Army spokesperson, told in a statement. The new measurement of fitness will comprise the following events, with students wearing the standard Army Combat Uniform and boots, within 14 minutes: 800-meter run 30 dead-stop push-ups 100-meter sprint An event in which students lift 16 40-pound sandbags onto a 68-inch platform 50-meter farmer's carry consisting of two five-gallon water cans weighing 40 pounds each 50-meter movement drill consisting of a 25-meter high crawl and 25-meter 3-5 second rush Another 800-meter run Once those events are complete, students will change into their physical fitness uniform and run four miles within 32 minutes. After the run, soldiers will perform six chin-ups. Previously, Ranger School students went through a special fitness test that consisted of at least 49 push-ups in two minutes, 59 sit-ups in two minutes, six chin-ups, and a 5-mile run within 40 minutes -- effectively a more demanding version of the Army Physical Fitness Test, or APFT, the service's old universal fitness test that is now obsolete. Meanwhile, the service is in the midst of revamping the Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT -- the universal fitness assessment all soldiers are graded on. The Army faces a congressionally mandated deadline to adjust the standards for the test for combat-arms soldiers by June. Service planners are currently mulling various ways of shifting scoring standards and whether to add or take away events, multiple Army officials with direct knowledge of the planning have told Ranger School is a 62-day infantry leadership course based out of Fort Benning, Georgia, open to troops from each of the services. Related: How Do You Measure Up? Here's How Soldiers Are Scoring on the Army Combat Fitness Test.
CBS News
13-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Pentagon orders review into military standards, including fitness and grooming
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a review of military standards, including physical fitness, body composition and grooming. It's a review Hegseth promised during his confirmation hearing when questioned about his statements he's made that military standards have eroded. "That will be part of one of the first things we do at the Pentagon — is reviewing that in a gender-neutral way — the standards ensuring readiness and meritocracy is front and center," Hegseth said in January. The Pentagon released a memo Wednesday night from Hegseth that directs the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness to review the existing standards set by the military departments. "We must remain vigilant in maintaining the standards that enable the men and women of our military to protect the American people and our homeland as the world's most lethal and effective fighting force," Hegseth said. "Our adversaries are not growing weaker, and our tasks are not growing less challenging." The memo directs the review to examine the standards and how they have changed since Jan. 1, 2015. In December 2015, the Defense Department announced it would open up all combat roles to women. Hegseth has previously opposed that policy decision, saying in a podcast interview shortly before he was tapped as defense secretary, "We should not have women in combat roles. It hasn't made us more effective. Hasn't made us more lethal." Hegseth walked that view back somewhat during his confirmation hearing, promising that women would have access to combat roles if the standards remain high and "have not been eroded." Katherine Kuzminski, the director of studies at the Center for a New American Security, told CBS News in an interview there are separate requirements for men and women, as well as for different ages, to pass the Army Combat Fitness Test that every recruit has to pass. To qualify for special forces, however, the standards are gender-neutral. "Those standards are uniform across the genders," Kazminski said, "which is why we have only seen very small numbers of women going into special operations." For example, as of early January, according to data provided by the Army, there have been 156 female graduates of the notoriously grueling Ranger Course, with 381 women attending the course since it was first made available to women in 2015, for a graduation rate of approximately 41%. The Ranger Course requires all candidates to swim 15 meters in full uniform, run five miles in under 40 minutes and march 12 miles with a 35-lb. ruck, according to the Army. "The standards have not been lowered, and each Ranger Course graduate meets the same training standards," an Army official told CBS News. The Pentagon's review could lead to a change in the Army Combat Fitness test, the generic test, so that the requirements are the same for men and women. Currently, the Army Combat Fitness test is scored based on different requirements for men and women, depending on age. For instance, a man who's 17 to 21 years of age must at a minimum be able to run two miles in 22 minutes, while a woman would need to run the same distance in 23:22. The minimum requirement for hand-release push-ups — which involve lifting your hands off the ground at the bottom of the push-up — is the same for men and women of any age: 10. Facing a recruiting crisis, services in recent years have offered adjustments on drug and tattoo policies and provided enlistment bonuses to attract potential service members, while still maintaining physical and educational standards. The Army also launched pre-enlistment boot camps to help potential candidates get into shape before going into basic training. Hegseth said during his confirmation hearing that while writing his book "War on Warriors," he spoke to service members who told him that "in ways direct, indirect, overt and subtle" standards have changed, but Hegseth didn't provide senators with concrete examples. Kuzminski also said the defense secretary's review could include revisiting grooming standards, like the Army allowing women to wear ponytails or the Navy permitting some men to grow facial hair, due to a medical condition exacerbated by shaving. "They seem like little things, but they were also tied to a broader initiative during the Biden administration to ensure that there weren't any standards that were disproportionately affecting minorities," Kuzminski said. Kuzminski added that changing those back may have some impact on recruiting or retention, but "it's not something that's going to break the force because the objective of every person in uniform is professionalism, and they will follow through the standard, whatever the standard is."
