What the Air Force’s waist-to-height deadline means for airmen

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Airmen are required to submit a waist-to-height ratio to the Air Force by the end of the week, but the measurement won’t count towards the service’s official fitness test, the Air Force said.

Active-duty Air Force personnel have to submit their waist-to-height ratio data via the Air Force’s myBodyComp app by July 31. The Air Force has been pushing reminders of the deadline to troops for several days. However on Friday, the Air Force said in a release that the “one-time biometric data collection” which “establishes a baseline for the modernized Physical Fitness Readiness Program” won’t actually impact the service’s fitness scores under a revised test that rolled out this month. A July 9 memo from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs echoes that.

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The updated message comes 10 days after Air Force Chief of Staff Kenneth Wilsbach wrote to airmen announcing the deadline called the Waist-to-Height Ratio assessment “an important component of our overall fitness program and provides commanders another tool to understand the readiness and health of the force.”

But this mandated data won’t be scored. An Air Force spokesperson told Task & Purpose that the “one-time Waist-to-Height Ratio measurement is intended to give Airmen a baseline as we transition out of our initial diagnostic testing period into officially testing under the new Physic Fitness Readiness Assessment.”

“This WHtR measurement is separate from the official PFRA, is not scored and will not drive personnel actions,” the statement continued. “Airmen moving forward will measure WHtR as part of their official PFRA.”

Air & Space Forces Magazine first reported on the measurement not being scored.

The ratio is drawn from airmen dividing their waist by their height. Airmen who were measured between March 1 and June 30 don’t need to reassess, the Air Force said. Airmen who were measured between March 1 and June 30 don’t need to reassess, the Air Force said. Reserve and Air National Guard personnel have until Aug. 31 to submit their waist-to-height ratio data.

The Air Force announced its updated fitness test last year, to be implemented in July. The Air Force’s Physical Fitness Readiness Assessment is meant to be taken twice a year, and includes tests such as pushups, tests involving core strength such as sit-ups, and measurements of the waist-to-height ratio. A two-mile run, or a High Aerobic Multi-Shuttle Run, or HAMR, tests airmen’s cardio.

The post What the Air Force’s waist-to-height deadline means for airmen appeared first on Task & Purpose.

Classification
Region
North America
Analytical Domain
Strategic
Primary Category
Political-Military
SALUTE Report
Size
Not specified
Activity
Airmen are required to submit waist-to-height ratio data as part of a one-time biometric data collection for the Physical Fitness Readiness Program.
Location
United States
Unit
United States Air Force
Time
By July 31
Equipment
myBodyComp app
Summary

Airmen in the United States Air Force are required to submit their waist-to-height ratio data by July 31 as part of a one-time biometric data collection for the Physical Fitness Readiness Program. This measurement will not impact their official fitness scores. The initiative aims to establish a baseline as the Air Force transitions to a new fitness assessment program, with Reserve and Air National Guard personnel having until August 31 to comply.

Key Facts
  • Airmen must submit waist-to-height ratio data by July 31.
  • The measurement will not affect official fitness scores.
  • The data collection is part of a transition to a new fitness assessment program.
  • Airmen measured between March 1 and June 30 do not need to reassess.
  • Reserve and Air National Guard personnel have until August 31 to submit their data.