Someone has reached out to friends and made a request that can be hard for some to understand.  It might seem too dangerous, but then you realize it might only seem that way because you're not in his shoes.  If you were a Gold Star Dad, it very well could make all the sense in the world.

And then you go hug your kids as they head off to bed.

And you look back at the excerpt from the request that starts with

...I can not die in peace one day if I do not go.

The one thing this Gold Star Dad needs "is to kneel and touch the ground where [he] died.  To smell the air. To see what he saw his final days, final moments."

I cannot understand it completely.  I will say a prayer tonight thanking God that I cannot.  This Gold Star Dad is going to do this.  When he does I hope he goes with the support and assistance of friends, the protection of the best there is, and the knowledge that there are so many people who understand the love of a father for his fallen son and his need to find peace.

Please, for the sake of security, don't speculate as to the Gold Star Dad's identity in the comments.  It's just another layer of making sure he gets where he needs to go (and home) safely.

108 Hours

~~Code Monkey

Hello Everyone.

We wanted to give an opportunity to give you an update on our Valour IT program, In 2010 collectively Soldiers Angels raised $343,263.44 for Valour IT and we gave out $447,803.09 (notice the red ink?) in laptops and electronics to our brave men and women. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all that you have raised and the dedication you have to this excellent program.

We challenge everyone to help in fundraising all year round for this program so we can continue to give out laptops to those who need them, at this current time we do not have any laptops in stock .

One of the great ways that we have to help with getting laptops to our wounded:

Accurate Credit Bureau and Jeff Bader is trying to help by using his website “Likes”. Likes are translating into gifts for disabled veterans of the US Armed Forces. For every 500 “Likes” the website receives, Accurate Credit Bureau will donate a laptop to a wounded veteran. Donations are being made to veterans of the United States Army, Navy, Marines Corp, and Air Force. Many of you have great ideas as well and we would love to hear them.
Thank you so much.

The link is http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001520250181&ref=ts

Once again, thank you for all your hard work and dedication to this great program.

--Chuck

//UPDATE//  AFRICOM reports pilots are recovered and safe.  http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=6252&lang=0

Amen.//


A US F15 Strike Eagle was lost over Libya.

One crewmember has been recovered, they are trying to recover the other one.

Aircraft was NOT shot down, according to initial reports.

My prayers are with the Aircrew, and their Families.

--Chuck

I see this playing out one of two ways:
1. Quadaffi holds out until political winds change and we leave–he wins. US “led” coalition seens as weak and ineffective. US seen as weak and ineffective, enemies abroad are emboldened against us.

2. Moslem Brotherhood (or some other 8th-century based voodoo death cult) wins. Claims either many were martyred because the Great Satan (TM) waited so long to help, or so many were martyred because the Great Satan (TM)was supporting Q-bert secretly. Enemies abroad are emboldened against us.

3. (Okay, there is another option) Q loses, Democracy and freedom reign, rule of law is restored and respected, and Libya becomes a shining example of a peaceful, stable, and successful African/Muslim nation, and ally to the US, UK, and France.

Which of those is LEAST likely, and which is MOST likely?

--Chuck

Or, Pop a dial-a-yield nuke at altitude, let the EMP knock out comms, (including cells, internets, and TV) and flatline everything with a chip or engine, and let them fight it out with small arms. No worries about EMP bleed over to other countries, they’re in the stone age, too.

I've given this a little thought, which is to say the idea just popped into my head, and that means that I'll be sorting it out in the paragraphs that follow.

Here's what we need for a candidate in 2012:

Never held political office: Even Palin and Christie have had to make back room deals to get to where they've been. They're out. There are many good, hardworking Americans who can read the US constitution, see what the responsibilities of the Executive are (hint: golf and vacations are okay, just not a) every weekend and b) ridiculously expensive.  As for The Donald, the last President with hair that retarded Martin Van Buren, and he had bitchin' mutton chops to offset it.  The Donald is as dirty as any politician--and likely owns a few, as well.

Never held office is pretty important, IMHO. In order to get elected to these offices, people have to make deals, agreements, promises, etc., and those people, once bought, tend to stay bought. A candidate who only takes donations (and demands that all donations come only from citizens, not PACs, US or Foreign Corporations , "interest groups," unions, or anything other than individual voters is critical. This way, the only ones they need to "repay the favor to" are the citizens.

Next thing we need in a candidate: someone with military service. Doesn't need to be a retired General or Admiral, doesn't even need to be a retiree--just someone who's worn a uniform and understands what happens when a Commander in Chief is indecisive--what it does to planning, families, and readiness; Military service is NOT a prerequisite of being president, but it should be for our next presidential candidiate.

We need a candidate who isn't as concerned with being popular as he is with doing what is right.

We need a candidate who is willing to focus on the hard problems--budget, security, immigration, terrorism, energy, disaster response--and unwilling to focus on puffery like bullying, healthy eating, and local law enforcement matters.

We need a candidate who will MAKE his Attorney General enforce the law of the land--and if he doesn't like a law,will follow it until he can get it changed.

We need a candidate who will not lie to the people, assuming we are too stupid to check facts.

We need a candidate who has held a job in the private sector.

We need a candidate that doesn't make the French President look like Ronald Reagan in comparisson.

We need a candidate who doesn't need a TelePrompTer to tell the truth, or to tell the time.

We need a candidate who does not embarrass us by bowing to every foreigner he meets. CORRECTION: WE NEED A CANDIDATE WHO DOES NOT BOW TO ANYONE, EVER.

We need a candidate who can prove he can maintain a family budget.

We need a candidate who is plain-spoken, if not a "Great Orator."

We need a candidate who is willing to do his best, piss people off if he must, call out other politicians for their failures and lies, refuse to negotiate on points of principle, and if it comes down to it, not worry about re-election or polls.

We need a candidate whose wife doesn't scare small children and little droids on the death star.

We need a candidate who, when asked about same sex marriage or abortion, says "I have problems to work on, real problems, that will affect the future of this Republic--and maybe even its survival. I'll let the people figure out if they want those things at their ballot box--in their own states."

We need a candidate who, when asked about his position on guns, draws his own from his concealed carry holster and sets it on the podium, and says "I will shoot the next person who asks me a stupid question about my position on specific, enumerated rights."

We need a candidate who responds to cries of "More taxes on the rich" by answering his cell phone and saying: "It's John Galt. He's calling for you with his new address."

We need a candidate who doesn't spend his state of the union address talking about new spending plans, and other stupid ideas (like high-speed rail,) when everyone wants to know what he is going to do about the crushing debt in the country.

We need a candidate who is Unapologetically American.

We need a candidate who is willing to flex military might to further the cause of freedom, wherever it may spring.

We need a candidate who believes, if not in God, then in the idea of America. If he claims to believe in God, we need a candidate who goes to Church.

We need a candidate whose wife won't swap candy at Easter with "healthy" treats.

We need a candidate who knows social security was a bad idea at inception, is doomed to failure, and has a plan to kill it.

We need a candidate who is willing to do the hard things--like border security--even if it means people crossing the border illegally are killed. We need a candidate willing to punish the people who hire illegals, and sanction cities that are "sanctuaries" for illegals--by refusing federal funding of any kind for those cities. We need a candidate willing to order INS (or whatever we call it) to round up illegals in this country and deport them, regardless of how long they've lived here.

We need a candidate who is willing to refuse to sign a bill into law until he has read it--and will flat out veto a bill sent to him if the Congress hasn't read it.

We need a candidate who would never, ever, appear on The View, or Oprah.

We need a candidate who is willing to let the military deal with POWs and Unlawful Combatants, and not 

willing to treat them like specially invited guests of the US.

We need a candidate who advocates the death sentence for convicted spies and other traitors.

We need a candidate who believes Equal Opportunity means opportunity for everyone, not just those with certain genetic makeup, and that opportunity does not equal success.

We need a candidate who will flatly refuse to allow the leaders of rogue states or nations hostile to the US to come to the US--even as diplomats.

We need a candidate who appoints people based on proven success in the field they work in--not based on whether or not they are "A wise Latina."

We need a candidate who does not attract flies.

We need a candidate who answers questions directly and truthfully, without stumbling around for the politically correct non-answer.

We need a candidate willing to dismiss the UN as Transnational Progressivism, at best, --and be willing to evict them as contrary to the national goals of the US.

We need a candidate who we can be proud of, and more importantly, is proud of us, and always has been.

Sadly, I will not be available to run in 2012.

If, however, a massive write-in campaign should put me in the oval office, Y'all are all invited to the inaugural ball. After that, the White House will be more about work than play, and I can go four years months weeks days without a vacation, so there's that, too.

--Chuck

Executive Order 13473 - Noncompetitive Appointing Authority for Certain Military Spouses establishes a hiring authority that permits a noncompetitive appointment to permanent, term, or temporary positions for certain military spouses into the competitive service. The purpose of this authority is to assist military spouses obtain Federal Civil Service positions. Its intent is to recognize and honor the service of members injured, disabled, or killed in connection with their service and minimize disruption when military families relocate.
Who is Eligible for this authority?

FACT SHEET
• Spouses who are married to service members at the time these service members receive their orders to relocate; or
• Spouses of service members who become 100% disabled; or
• Un-remarried widows or widowers of a service member that was killed on active duty, it does not have to be combat related.Eligibility Requirements for the Active Duty Spouse: A spouse who is married to a service member that receives Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders that authorize the spouse to accompany him or her to the new duty station is eligible for this appointing authority, provided the spouse moves with the service member to the new duty location. Employment must be within the geographic area of the new permanent duty station, it includes the duty station and the surrounding area. Until delegation is received from DOD, a waiver of the geographic restriction cannot be approved. This appointing authority may be used immediately and the spouse remains eligible for a maximum of 2 years (may not be extended) from the date of the PCS orders. The spouse will be required to present the PCS orders and proof of marriage (i.e., certificate of marriage or license) upon selection for employment. EO 13473 specifically excludes training duties and attendance at service schools from coverage under this authority. There is a limit of one permanent appointment per PCS.Eligibility Requirements for the Spouse of a 100% Disabled Veteran:

A spouse of a service member that is released or discharged with a 100% service-connected disability is eligible for this authority. The spouse will be required to present the official documentation of the disability and proof of marriage (i.e., certificate of marriage or license) upon selection for employment. There is no geographic location limitation, or limit on the number of appointments a spouse of a 100% disabled veteran may receive under this authority. This eligibility is effective immediately and limited to 2 years from the date of the disability documentation.
Eligibility Requirements for the Spouse of a Service Member Killed in Action: A spouse of a service member that is killed while on active duty is eligible for this authority. The spouse will be required to present a copy of the DD 1300 Report of Casualty; documentation verifying the individual was killed while on active duty; a certificate of marriage or license; and a statement certifying that spouse has not remarried upon selection for employment. There is no geographic location limitation, or limit on the number of appointments the widow or widower of a deceased service member may receive under this authority. This eligibility is effective immediately and limited to 2 years from the date of the DD 1300 Report of Casualty.Applying for Preference in Hiring through the Priority Placement Program (PPP):

To obtain hiring preference through PPP, spouses should contact the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center (CPAC) to inquire about their eligibility. In order to be eligible for placement, the prospective registrant must be well qualified to perform at least one specific type of position. In most cases, spouses eligible only under E.O. 13473 will not have prior Federal civilian service; therefore, the registrant is required to submit a narrative resume for evaluation of work experience, education, and training to determine if registration is warranted. If a spouse is best qualified for more than one type of position, the higher-grade experience shall be used as the "current" grade for registration purposes unless the spouse does not want to be registered for that type of position. Program S is not used in OCONUS; therefore, interested spouses must apply via vacancy announcements. For more information contact your local CPAC; to find the nearest CPAC on-line, click on the following link: http://acpol.army.mil/employment/findcpac/index.html

Applying for Federal Government positions:Eligible spouses may apply for positions advertised as being open to the “public,” “all sources,” or “status candidates.” For more information on Federal job opportunities, visit the Office of Personnel Management’s official job site of the US Federal Government at www.usajobs.gov. It is the Federal Government’s one-stop employment site that provides job information world-wide. Job seekers should check websites of agencies in which they may wish to work, such as the Army on-line website, in addition to USAJOBS.
The Army’s Resume Builder database and Vacancy Announcement Board provides specific job information and employment opportunities world-wide. This is a separate database from USAJOBS, so creation of an account is necessary to build a resume on line. To find the on-line employment webpage, go to www.cpol.army.mil. Click on "Employment," to find links to "Search for Jobs" and "Build a Resume/View Status." You will be required to complete a Supplemental Data sheet before submitting your resume. Under “Employment Categories” you will click “EO 13473 eligible,” to identify that you are eligible for this appointing authority. The Army has many jobs to choose from, many with progressive employment practices. It has a family friendly atmosphere, exceptional benefits, and a diverse workforce. When viewing the vacancy announcement board, look for the “Who May Apply” section, then for "Military Spouses eligible under EO 13473.” If identified, those military spouses mentioned above are eligible to apply for that vacancy. If you are eligible according to one of the categories above, you may visit the Army’s Vacancy Announcement Builder to search for employment using this authority. You will need to build your resume into our database and self-nominate for jobs on-line. Click on the link “Search for Jobs” and “Build a Resume/View Status” for more information.

*Note: According to the Federal Register’s final ruling (12 Aug 09), this authority is entitled, “Noncompetitive Appointment of Certain Military Spouses;” however, per 5 U.S.C. 3330(b), agencies must follow public notice requirements when using this authority to fill permanent or term positions, or temporary positions lasting more than 1-year. Army requires Military Spouses to apply for vacancies advertised on CPOL and/or USAJOBS in order to use this appointing authority. For more information, see the EO 13473 FAQs at http://www.chra.army.mil/Military_Spouse_HR_Information/MS%20FAQs.pdf

"This is the kind of stuff that you're glad you're there and able to help"  - Staff Sergeant Scott Dietrich


His blog is here:  I'm big in Japan

--Chuck

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free, 24-hour crisis intervention hotline available to military members and department of the Army civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. when dialing the toll free number, it is preceded by (94) (94-800-273-talk (8255). When dialing from other OCONUS locations, the toll free number is preceded by the appropriate dsn access code (i.e., "94", "88", "8"); no requirement exists to dial "1" prior to dialing the dsn access code. Online services such as live chat with a counselor, information on suicide/mental health issues, and crisis center locators are available at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org./

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a confidential resource provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. the service is available to anyone in crisis/emotional distress to include members of the Army family in the above mentioned deployed and other OCONUS locations. Credentialed consultants offer support and practical solutions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week / 365 days a year through phone or online consultation.

For additional information visit the Army G-1 suicide prevention website at http://www.preventsuicide.army.mil/.

I've seen a lot of people on Facebook saying things along the lines of "Screw the Japanese, this is what they get for Pearl Harbor."

Those people have been de-friended, but I felt I should add more...

Pearl Harbor (7 December, 1941) was seventy years ago.  The average life expectancy for men in Japan is about 75.  So basically, a Japanese man alive at the beginning of WWII, was five.  How much respinsibility should they bear for the sins of their fathers?

Second, they surrendered.  They surrendered to us.  WWII is over, has been for 65 years, and they are our staunchest ally in the Pacific Rim, not counting Taiwan, which has its own self-serving reasons to really want our friendship (like a billion screamin' chinamen right off their coast.)

Third,  these are PEOPLE.  Not just a number, not just a statistic.  These are living, breathing people, many of them children.  What kind of nation are we, if, even despite our own economic troubles, don't offer to help those in the most dire of situations in any way we can?  If that is the nation we would become, it's not a nation I would want to support and defend.

Finally, part of being the greatest nation in the world, in the history of the world, comes from our willingness to help those who suffer terrible tragedy.

And of course, there is a way you can help:
http://soldiersangels.org/japan.html
BLANKETS
SNACKS
PHONE CARDS
NEW ITEMS FOR CHILDREN
LETTERS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
MONETARY DONATIONS 

Our Troops.  Our Relief.  Our Angels.

--Chuck

From the Soldiers' Angels website:

---

CJ Grisham gets out of the field in a week and will be closing up his Girl Scout Cookie drive to send to deployed troops.  He could use some help getting the word out for this final push.  The $5 per box INCLUDES shipping to theater, so he doesn't need additional money for shipping.   

Wounded Warrior Project calls on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the White House to make good on promised benefits.


Caregivers of veterans recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) at risk for being left out of Congressionally mandated benefits by VA

Jacksonville, FL (March 7, 2011) As we enter Brain Injury Awareness Month, the Wounded Warrior Project  (WWP) is committed to ensuring that veterans injured during Operation Enduring Freedom  and Operation Iraqi Freedom and their caregivers receive the benefits included in the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act signed into law last year by President Obama.

“In 2010, Congress put assistance in place to ensure that the caregivers of these brave men and women are able to continue providing the necessary support for their recovery,” said Steve Nardizzi, Executive Director of WWP. “Nearly a year later and ironically coinciding with Brain Injury Awareness Month, family caregivers of as many as 2,500 severely brain-injured warriors may now be ineligible to receive benefits promised under a plan the VA continues to defend.”

“Last month, the VA submitted a plan that would shrink the number of families qualifying for benefits by more than three-quarters, hitting those with cognitive and related brain-injury impairments hardest,” Nardizzi continued. “It is unacceptable for the Administration to deviate so dramatically from the clear direction Congress set, and jeopardize the care of these service members to meet a new agenda.”  

TBI has emerged as one of the signature wounds of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a result, amazing strides have been made in the medical intervention and treatment of TBI.  But with that comes a long road of treatment and care for these veterans when they return home. It’s a labor of love for the family caregivers of these severely wounded warriors, but also an all-consuming one in which many families have had to commit all of their resources to their loved one’s recovery process.

In providing for caregiver assistance, Congress clearly specified that the law covers caregivers of veterans who sustained traumatic brain injury in the line of duty and who were “in need of personal care services because of…a need for supervision or protection based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury.”   It is apparent when reviewing the Act as a whole, that the rehabilitation of veterans with traumatic brain injury was an intended goal with respect to each of these provisions.

WWP is calling on the Administration and the VA to recognize the severity and complexity of these injuries and guarantee that these American heroes and their families are provided the best support and care possible.

Join the effort to secure what has been promised to the caregivers of our nation’s heroes:

• Visit us on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/caregiversNOW
• Learn more at www.woundedwarriorproject.org

About Wounded Warrior Project

The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and service to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

I don't do PT tests anymore.  It's hard to do pushups when you can't lay your hands flat, or make a decent fist, or get the skin graft that's grown into and adhered to your bicep to not feel like it's pulling said bicep to shreds.  Same goes for the grafts on my quardiceps and hip flexor for doing situps or running.  For that matter, degenerative disc disease in my lower back pretty much nixes the situp, too.

Even before I was injured, however, I hated the Army Physical Fitness Test.  I didn't think it was a good measure of anything.  It was a great discriminator between the wasp-waisted, sunken chest crowd with zero real upper body strength and hips like a 10 year old girl.  For people with muscular frames, especially those of us with a predisposition to carry the bulk of our weight in our upper body, the PT test was a pain in the ass.  The Push-up was easy enough, just a burn in the triceps; but the sit up meant (for me) burning hip floexors and a sore back, right before I got to go to the 2-mile run.  Running is something I prefer not to do--not that I couldn't, there were many mornings that my young men would try to grind the old man down, only to find out that I can run practically forever.  I just don't like to run long distance fast.  Long distance running is about endurance, short distance running is sprinting, and done for speed.  Running long distances fast is for dudes used to chasing down deer and running from lions. 

So the Army (finally!) decided to redesign the Army Physical Fitness Test.
First, the developed an advisory board working group.  Of the sixteen people on that board, eight are doctors, and only three are soldiers.  Of the three soldiers, there is a Lieutenant Colonel, who is a Physical Therapist, and one, countem, ONE Non-Commisioned Officer.  So, problem one:  there is only one person on that board who is responsible for actually training soldiers.   

The working group has come up with two tests:  the Army Physical Readiness Training Test (APRT) and the Army Combat Readiness Test.  Both tests will be graded on a sliding scale for age and gender.  Problem two:  the enemy makes no exception for age and gender.  Duty performance is not based on age and gender.  There exist physical differences between women and men, young and old, but there should exist only one standard, period.  However, in order to make that standard "fair"--another concept our enemy does not understand--the standard to pass would have to be so low to allow women to pass that men wouldn't really have to do more than show up to pass.

On to the events:
APRT:  60-yard shuttle run.  Great for anerobic testing.  Shit on the knees and ankles.  Be ready to see an increase in these types of injuries.

• 1-minute Rower:  Great stress on lower back.  Be ready to see an increase in these types of injuries.
• Standing long jump:  Measures your ability to jump.  Not sure how we can train to improve this score, it's a function of your body mass and fast-twitch muscles.  Some got a lot of ‘em, some don't.
• 1-minute push up:  they axed the 2-minute push-up, because according to the board’s analysis of the old APFT, "High-speed/repetition of push-up and sit-up in training lead to overuse injuries in the neck, shoulder and lower back…" so naturally, keeping it as an event of only ONE minute means we’ll do less of them when we do PT, right? 
• 1.5 mile run:  Again, the board noted in their reasoning for designing a new test that “repetitive high volume running in training increases risk of overuse injuries to hips, knees, ankles and feet.”  So they recommend cutting .5 miles off the test.  Guess what?  This will NOT cause units to say “Hey, we only have to run 1.5 miles now.  Let’s stop running every day for PT.  Not gonna happen.  Units do long runs most days because a) people forget that variety is a key factor in physical fitness, b) people fail to actually have a plan for PT, and running eats up lots of time, c) the wasp-waisted sunken-chest crowd like running because they are good at it and d) forward motion means you must be working hard at PT.

Now we get to the fun test:  the Combat Readiness Test.  This test is a combination obstacle course and combat skills test.  It looks really fun, too.  This test is done in combat uniform, boots, body armor, helmet and with weapon.

• 400M run with weapon:  Okay, not hard.  Not realistic however, as nobody does a 400M mad dash with body armor on.  So this is really a 400M jog while wearing 40+ pounds of extra crap.  Remember what they were saying about injuries to knees, necks, and backs?
• Individual movement techniques:  (AKA Crawling around with all your crap on.)  There’s nothing wrong with this event, except the low crawl (hugging the ground as low as possible to move from cover to cover without exposing yourself) is not supposed to be done for speed.  It’s supposed to be slow, methodical, and most importantly, keep you from exposing yourself.  So including it in a timed event is pretty silly.  The high crawl—crawling along on your belly with your head up—is also something that doesn’t lend itself to a timed event—the more you hurry, the more likely you’ll do it wrong, and that’s just reinforcing bad habits in training.
• 100m Ammo can shuttle sprint:  Now we’re going to do another shuttle run, with all our crap on, and add a full ammo can.  See previous comments about back/knee/shoulder injuries, and add in “I just dropped a goddamn heavy metal box on my foot” injury. 
• Casualty Drag:  I love this one.  180 pounds of sandbags on a sled of some sort, to be dragged 30 yards.  Nothing says lower back injuries like dragging something heavy, for time.  I personally want to see the timetables for females, and watch as Private Benjamin tries to move her 120-pound body, 40 pound of gear, and 180 pounds of sandbags anywhere.  Good on her if she can, but I think this is a non-starter to begin with.
• Balance Beam with an Ammo Can:  Good news!  If you didn’t break your foot during the Ammo Can Shuttle Run, you get a chance to break your ankle and your foot while navigating a balance beam with an ammo can (never, have I ever, had to cross a balance beam in combat!)  Balance beams are great—lots of fun when you’ve got all your gear on and a screwed up center of gravity.  Now add in an ammo can, and watch the injuries keep on coming!
• Point-Aim-Move:  Not sure what they are going for here—but I guess they want you to point your weapon at something, aim at it (see “point”) and move around obstacles.  This is called “maneuvering.”  Granted, some guys have a hard time with the whole concept of "walk/chew gum."  But if you can stick your arm out straight in front of you and walk in a crouch, you've got this covered.
• Finally, an agility sprint at the end, where you weave in and out of traffic cones.  This is also called the “Get the medics ready; we’re going to have a lot of ACL/PCL/MCL injuries!”

I get the idea—and all things considered, the APFT does, really, need to be redesigned.  What they have designed, however looks like it is far likelier to cause injuries than to make people more physically fit.  The ACRT is a test that they admit will be hard to train for, because it requires set-up, support, and facilities.  Anything we don’t train for, we usually don’t do well, and the end result is people get hurt.  There’s no “combat readiness” in balance beams.  There’s no “combat readiness” in shuttle runs.  There’s no “combat readiness” in a 400m run or agility sprint.  The  other half, the Army Physical Readiness Test, got rid of sit-ups for an event just as hard on the back, shortened the run a little, and added a shuttle run.  Yippee.  Now standard morning PT will go from Push-ups, Sit-ups, and Four-mile run to Pushups, Shuttle Run, Rowers, Jumps, and Four-mile run. 

I’m not saying this won’t work, because if it becomes the standard, we’ll make it work.  I’m just saying that it won’t
a) alleviate any repetitive motion/impact injuries,
b) fix the Army’s unwritten “we run every day” PT program,
c) shift focus away from training for the test scores to training for fitness, as long as test score is seen as an indicator of leadership ability/fitness for duty.  180/300 points is the army standard for passing the APFT, and you only ever meet that standard, you’ll be seen as a slacker.  Leaders are “expected” to score 270+, and suggested to score 290+.
d) force a dramatic change in the physical fitness of a unit
e) be score fairly, as long as there are standards based on age and gender (shouldn’t we also account for physiological differences in race, too?  Or is that racist?  So ageism and sexism is okay, but not racism.  Got it.)

--Chuck

PS:  if I were to design a PT test, it would involve short distance swimming, forced-marching with light load, a short sprint in combat gear, and a long, long walk—untimed, but you can’t stop and must finish.