The new test is unlikely to be much of an issue, as Navy SEALs are among the most physically fit people on the planet.

The Navy has released its latest physical fitness standards and a new combat arms test.  

Navy SEALs and Special Warfare Combat Crewman (SWCC) operators will now face the highest physical fitness standards in the entire Navy—higher even than Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) techs and fleet divers.  

The Navy Is Keeping the Highest Standard for Its Special Forces

Under the Navy’s new combat fitness standards, all fully qualified SEALs and SWCC operators must pass the test every year to keep their jobs.

The combat fitness tests consist of an 800m swim with fins, push-ups, pull-ups, and a one-mile timed run—with the latter three events done while wearing a 20-pound vest.

The test is a uniform event, and it begins with the 800m swim. SEAL and SWCC operators can opt for open water swim with fins, goggles, or facemasks using their preferred swimming stroke—though most opt for the sidestroke, which is designed for clandestine insertions. Operators then get a 10-minute break before proceeding to the push-up, pull-up, and run portion of the test.

The inclusion of the vest in the push-up, pull-up, and run part of the test is to simulate real-world conditions where operators carry their gear. To be sure, the actual gear a special operator carries into action weighs far more than 20 pounds. Indeed, depending on the mission, combat loads can exceed 100 pounds.

However, it will take more than a single failure in a test for an operator to lose his job. According to the Navy’s new guidelines, only sailors failing three physical fitness assessment tests within a four-year period will be processed for administrative separation. Moreover, if someone fails the test, they will be ineligible for promotion, advancement, reenlistment, or transfer until passing the next official physical fitness assessment. But a commanding officer can approve a special physical fitness assessment for those who have failed.

The Navy also makes an important clarification: sailors with 18 to 20 years of active duty service—not an impossible scenario for some members of the special forces—will no longer be exempt from these administrative actions. The more senior an officer or enlisted troop, the more likely it is that their physical fitness is not what it used to be. This clarification makes clear that senior personnel in desk or instructor jobs are still required to be at the top of their physical game.

Navy SEALs Aren’t Likely to Fail the New Test

However, the new combat arms test may not be that relevant. It is no secret that Navy SEALs and SWCC operators have worked extremely hard to get to where they are. It is highly unusual for any of these special operators to fail a physical fitness test. 

In the case of SEALs, an operator has passed a number of successively more difficult “gates” to wear the golden eagle insignia, including pre-selection orientation, the grueling Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) selection process, as well as the follow-on SEAL Qualification Course (SQT). There is only one way a candidate can pass BUD/S and SQT, and that is by being in an exceptional physical condition.

SWCC operators also go through intense physical training to get where they are. A SWCC operator has passed pre-selection orientation, Basic Crewman Selection (BCS), Basic Crewman Training (BCT), and SWCC Crewman Qualification Training (CQT). Vest or no vest, a one-mile run is fairly trivial by comparison!

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou  

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.   

Image: Shutterstock / FotoDax.

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