Question to old 1980's soldiers

[MikeLA]

Had a discussion with the fitness standards of todays infantry. Are the following correct as I mentioned to a work friend

in the 1980's With 58 ptn webbing

Tests were :

(Combat)CFT 2 miler in 18 minutes ( with helmet, webbing of 35 lb, rifle combat jacket and boots).

(Infantry) ICFT 8 miler in 1 hour 45 minutes ( with helmet, webbing, Bergan of 55 lb, rifle, combat jacket and boots) at the end the test was a fireman’s carry or climb on to a 4 tonner vehicle ?

(Battle)BFT 3 miler in 1 ½ mile as a squad and then 1 ½ mile best time had to be done under 10.30 or 10.00 in my battalion ( with red pt vest, lightweights and boots)

 

[kaiAnderson]

Had a discussion with the fitness standards of todays infantry. Are the following correct as I mentioned to a work friend

in the 1980's With 58 ptn webbing

Tests were :

(Combat)CFT 2 miler in 18 minutes ( with helmet, webbing of 35 lb, rifle combat jacket and boots).

(Infantry) ICFT 8 miler in 1 hour 45 minutes ( with helmet, webbing, Bergan of 55 lb, rifle, combat jacket and boots) at the end the test was a fireman’s carry or climb on to a 4 tonner vehicle ?

(Battle)BFT 3 miler in 1 ½ mile as a squad and then 1 ½ mile best time had to be done under 10.30 or 10.00 in my battalion ( with red pt vest, lightweights and boots)

I remember all those test, but not sepcifics.

The combat was the annual one i did

the Infantry test, having to run then firemans carry then ibto the back of a wagen i think ionly did during training

and teh battle one we did quite a few times through out the year.

 

[MartinK9]

Missing the shin-splints.

 

[Twodogs]

Yep sound about right .............owww

 

[Jackdaw]

We have similar ones still today although I remember all of those when I joined in 1990.

We also have the advanced CFT now which is a two day event:

Day 1: 12.5 miles carrying 30 kg in 3h 30mins.
Day 2: 12.5 miles carrying 20 kg in 3h.

Roll on when I'm 50 and the days of CFTs will finally be over.

Jack

 

[Damascus]

That was about it, the fire mans carry was a distance of 100m.

 

[Insel Affen]

I think it was the ICFT for only the infantry, which the figures sound right.

The CFT was for everyone, but I think weights were different for other arms, the time was between 1hr 50 and 2hrs. It had the 100m firemans carry, climbing into a 4 tonner and don't forget the 1m standing jump, just to make sure any blisters got burst or ripped open.

BFT was boots and lightweights but changed to PT kit in the 90s.

I will add I didn't join until 94, but we did do the CFT yearly and BFT twice a year minimum. The CFT changed in the late 90s with different weights. The BFT keeps changing, but now it 2 mins sit ups, 2 mins push ups, 800m warm up run and still 1.5 miles best effort.

 

[Drain Bamaged]

All sounds pretty easy compared to shopping with my Mrs and that's a weekly thing with no time limits, plus I have to appear interested, carry a damn site heavier weights AND I HAVE TO BLOODY PAY TO DO IT.

Is 58 too old to run away and join the foreign legion?

D.B.

 

[leaky5]

Had a discussion with the fitness standards of todays infantry. Are the following correct as I mentioned to a work friend

in the 1980's With 58 ptn webbing

Tests were :

(Combat)CFT 2 miler in 18 minutes ( with helmet, webbing of 35 lb, rifle combat jacket and boots).

(Infantry) ICFT 8 miler in 1 hour 45 minutes ( with helmet, webbing, Bergan of 55 lb, rifle, combat jacket and boots) at the end the test was a fireman’s carry or climb on to a 4 tonner vehicle ?

(Battle)BFT 3 miler in 1 ½ mile as a squad and then 1 ½ mile best time had to be done under 10.30 or 10.00 in my battalion ( with red pt vest, lightweights and boots)

BFT I thought was Basic fitness test and the times sounds about right. I never got below 10:30 on the second half, but then again my platoon officer could not shoot to save his life. So somehow we all passed all our annual tests and as I could do the 8 miler I don't see how it really mattered.

8 miler sounds about right, but I don't remember doing it with a bergen. But we did do it with GPMGs and mortars, which you would take it in turn with.

 

[sandbag47]

I always loved the 8 miler. My personal weapon was an SMG. All we used to do was bunggie it to my kidney pouches and forget about it.

As for the BFTs I remover doing one in vogulsain (think that's how it is spelt). It was uphill for the group run and back down hill for the individual run. The hill was so steep it took 2 minutes off my best time

 

[MikeLA]

We always used a Bergan for the ICFT and for a mortar cadre the ICFT progressively went up in weight to 90

 

[MikeLA]

I always loved the 8 miler. My personal weapon was an SMG. All we used to do was bunggie it to my kidney pouches and forget about it.

As for the BFTs I remover doing one in vogulsain (think that's how it is spelt). It was uphill for the group run and back down hill for the individual run. The hill was so steep it took 2 minutes off my best time

reading this reminded me of a BFT in the Falklands with the winds there you were bend over trying to fight through it

 

[bob_the_bomb]

Hi. The BFT was 11.5 mins in boots for the under 30's. In the 90's they stopped us wearing boots, but took a minute off the time. So it became 10.5 mins.

After age 30 they gave you another 30 seconds. After 40 some more time. And so on

If I was still in they'd be timing me with a calendar!

 

[bob_the_bomb]

Voegelsang. An old Hitler Youth camp. I remember that hill...

 

[Duggie Bravo]

The ICFT was the shorter of the two, I did it once the first PT session after 6 months out with a knackered ankle.
I used to love the old BFT, the look on the PTI's faces as a clerk went hurtling past them was priceless.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MikeLA]

My ICFTs were 8 milers in the 1980's and early 1990's

 

[Jaeger]

Aye Up All,

Blooming 'eck MikeLA, talk about a blast from the past or what!

As others have stated you are about right with your facts and figures and have touched on the way that the various tests were applied -
Re the Basic Fitness Test = squadd'ed run - 1.5miles in 15 mins, individual run 11mins30 or less.

But! - the following each applied their OWN times - (OC 11mins; Troop Commander 1030; Troop Staff Sgt 10mins etc etc! The fastest that I managed was 9mins30 and the fastest that I saw was 8mins30 (a desk jockey in the Intelligence Corps - a stripped down racing snake!).

Whilst stationed in Germany during the 80's I was one of the guinea pigs who did test CFTs which were intended to be specific to role/arm.
I.e. for the Royal Engineers at the end of the 8 miler, after the 100m fire-mans carry and the x2 20 litre jerrycan carry (100m) there was a pallet of MK7 Anti-tank mines (training/concrete - 30lbs each) which had to be un-palleted and carried over the full length of an assault course (by the troop) then re-palleted at the other end.
An alternative was the manhandling (by the troop) of an HGOB - Heavy Girder Over Bridge over the assault course! I don't know if they were ever adopted, (probably the muscle busters just having a laugh!) I doubt it as mechanisation took over much of the field work.

Notably - it was the BFT whippets who struggled to shoulder press and keep their corner of a 400lb (4 man lift) bridging panel up into position during equipment bridge builds - yet I never saw them on remedial PT for that?

As for the infantry - jumping out of the back of a 4 tonner with their 'lightweight' 81mm mortars and those nasty 'heavy' machine guns - don't make me

PS - Tip - cardboard box - luxury etc!

 

[MikeLA]

Happy Days