Air Force Officer Accession Fitness Standards

There are three typical ways to become an officer in the Air Force. The first is the Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a service academy that is highly competitive with some of the toughest colleges in the nation. The USAFA graduates roughly 800 officers each year after a challenging four-year program. 

The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Course (AFROTC) is also a highly competitive four-year training program that creates roughly 2,000 officers each year. 

The third method to become an Air Force Officer is to complete college and apply to Officer Training School (OTS). OTS is designed to be a flexible training program that increases or decreases its applicants depending upon the needs of the Air Force. OTS has ranged in annual graduation rates from numbers as low as 300 or as high as 7,000.

Assessment

Regardless of your accession into the Air Force, you will be required to take a fitness test. Typically, your first fitness test will be an assessment called the Physical Fitness Baseline (PFB) and usually occurs within the first week of your training. There are four components to the Physical Fitness Baseline / Physical Fitness Assessment: Pushups (1 minute), Crunches (1 minute), Abdominal Circumference Measurement (inches), and the 1.5 miles timed run. All events and the measurement are timed and monitored. All event point scores vary according to age and gender. The body composition score varies with gender, but not height or age.

While attending OTS, AFROTC, or the Air Force Academy, you will be required to participate in daily physical conditioning (PC), and you must also pass the Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA), to graduate from the program. Daily PC will entail aerobic, anaerobic, and flexibility conditioning. Slow runs of around three- to five-miles are typical, but a focus on faster-paced timed runs in preparation for the 1.5 miles timed run will also be practiced.

In 2013, the Air Force has implemented new fitness standards. All Basic Officer Trainees must achieve a minimum passing composite score to meet the physical fitness requirement to graduate from the program.

To pass the PFA, you must achieve a total minimum score of 75 points, the total from all three events and body composition measurement. Members will receive a score on a 0 to 100 point scale based on the following maximum component scores: 60 points for cardio-respiratory / aerobic fitness assessment (1.5-mile run), 20 points for body composition (abdominal circumference), 10 points for push-ups, and 10 points for crunches.

To receive the maximum possible score for push-ups, crunches, and the 1.5-mile run, you would have to perform the following:

Maximum Points to "Max the PT Test"

Males under the age of 30 must obtain the following scores and measurements: The Abdominal Circumference (AC) must be less than 32.5 inches, 58 crunches, 67 push-ups, 1.5 miles in 9:12

Females under the age of 30 must obtain the following scores and measurements: The Abdominal Circumference (AC) must be less than 29 inches, 51 crunches, 42 push-ups, 1.5 miles in 11:06

Minimum Points to "Pass the PT Test":

Males under the age of 30 must obtain the following scores and measurements: The Abdominal Circumference (AC) must be no greater than 39 inches. 42 crunches, 33 push-ups, 1.5 miles in 13:36.

Females under the age of 30 must obtain the following scores and measurements: The Abdominal Circumference (AC) must be no greater than 35.5 inches. 38 crunches, 18 push-ups, 1.5 miles in 16:22.

If you are over the age of 30 at the time of your officer training at OTS or AFROTC, you will have different charts for your age group. However, it is a bit of an unwritten rule to strive for the youngest age groups running times and PT scores for as long as you can throughout your career. Setting the example as a junior officer is almost a requirement. Setting the example as a senior officer on the Physical Fitness Assessment can set the tone for your entire command.

The scores at your officer training will go into your record and recorded by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES II) This is the military's database which provides worldwide medico-legal services and investigations.