A Critical Review of the Baseline Soldier Physical Readiness Requirements Study

The Army's Baseline Soldier Physical Readiness Requirements Study (BSPRRS) was a multiyear effort designed to inform evidence-based change in the Army's physical fitness test of record from a gender- and age-specific standard to a gender- and age-neutral standard based on recurring, physically demanding tasks encountered by soldiers. The physical fitness test events determined by BSPRRS became the six-event Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). A close examination of the BSPRRS model reveals critical mistakes and the lack of rigorous cross-validation.