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AF-FA components are associated with positive effects for career outcomes

• Multiple fitness components are positively associated with annual retention and physical eligibility for deployment, and the strength of association is greatest for aerobic fitness, as assessed by the 1.5-mile run.
• Likewise, multiple fitness components are positively associated with early- and mid-career outcomes, and the strength of association is again greatest for aerobic fitness.
• These associations span multiple years: Fitness in the very first year of service (YOS) predicted annual and career outcomes over the first ten YOS.

AF-FA components are also associated with positive effects for health outcomes

• AC and the 1.5-mile run are important components for reducing the risk of different health diagnoses.
• Sit-ups and push-ups were less strongly associated with health outcomes.
• The relationship between fitness and injury diagnoses was inconsistent.

Perceptions of the AF-FA and the broader culture of fitness are mixed

• Service members do not understand why they must complete the AF-FA or why any of the AF-FA components have been included in the assessment.
• There is a great deal of variability in perceptions of the AF-FA and its components, with some perceiving the standards as too strict and others perceiving them as too lenient.
• Service members indicated that finding time to exercise is a barrier to fitness, and they proposed that providing time during the duty day to work out and regular unit physical training could assist with addressing this barrier.

To ensure its service members have the requisite physical fitness to serve, the Department of the Air Force (DAF) has established a variety of medical and physical standards. The DAF also recognizes that building a more comprehensive understanding of how different factors influence exercise habits, test preparation, and the perceived importance of fitness is critical to promoting a ready and deployable force.

The authors evaluate Air Force (AF) data relevant to the Tier 1 fitness assessment (FA) from all AF-FAs completed by active duty officers and enlisted personnel from fiscal year (FY) 2005 to FY 2018 to examine the fitness of the AF's active component.

The Tier 1 FA consists of four components: a 1.5-mile run or 2.0-kilometer walk, designed to measure cardiorespiratory fitness; an abdominal circumference (AC) measurement for body composition; and push-ups and sit-ups, which assess muscular fitness. In this report, the authors explore the relationships between component fitness scores with career and health outcomes and examine airmen's perceptions of current fitness policies and the culture of fitness across the DAF. They conclude by recommending several strategies to improve the rationale for and the validity and acceptance of the AF-FA.

• Chapter One

  Introduction

• Chapter Two

  Examining the Relationship Between Airman Fitness and Career Outcomes and Deployment Readiness

• Chapter Three

  Examining the Relationship Between Airman Fitness and Health Outcomes

• Chapter Four

  Perceptions of the Air Force Fitness Assessment and Culture of Fitness

• Chapter Five

  Discussion and Recommendations

• Appendix A

  Ancillary Analysis of Fitness Data

• Appendix B

  Additional Details on Health Data, Logistic Regression, and Survival Analysis Results

• Appendix C

  Interview Protocol