AFT alternate events: who may take them and the go times

Who may take an alternate event

The alternate aerobic events are for soldiers with a permanent medical profile that prohibits the 2 mile run. A soldier on a temporary profile may not take a modified AFT or an alternate event. The ATP says that soldier is to recover, come off profile and take a regular five-event test.

The profile form, DA Form 3349, has to say which AFT events the soldier can take. Soldiers on a permanent profile take every event the profile does not rule out. If a profile covers only the push-up, for example, the soldier takes four events. At a minimum, a permanently profiled soldier must pass an aerobic event.

The four events and their rules

Each alternate replaces the run. Soldiers on a permanent profile start the row or bike ten minutes after their last event.

• Row: 5,000 meters on a stationary rower. The soldier may pause and rest but may not get off the machine.
• Bike: 12,000 meters on a stationary cycle ergometer. The soldier may pause and rest but may not get off the bike.
• Swim: 1,000 meters. The swim starts in the water with the body touching the wall, with no diving. Any stroke and any turn are allowed, walking on the bottom is allowed, and the soldier must touch the wall at each turn.
• Walk: 2.5 miles. One foot must stay in contact with the ground. A running stride ends the event and is a no-go.

Go or no-go

The soldier must finish in a time equal to the 60 point standard for their age and sex, or faster. The ATP states 60 points for a pass and 0 for a fail on the row, bike and swim. The walk instructions do not repeat those points, but the scorecard has a 60 or 0 points box for all four alternates.

Faster does not earn more. Passing the alternate is required to pass a modified AFT. Army Directive 2025-06 says the same: a soldier must get a go on the alternate event, if it is taken.

Go times for the M|C column

The table labels this column M|C. The calculator reads it for men and for every soldier on the combat standard.

Army Fitness Test alternate event go times for men and the combat standard (column M|C), by age group

Age group	2.5 mile walk	12 km bike	1 km swim	5 km row
17 to 21	31:00	26:25	30:48	30:48
22 to 26	30:45	26:12	30:30	30:30
27 to 31	30:30	26:00	30:20	30:20
32 to 36	30:45	26:12	30:30	30:30
37 to 41	31:00	26:25	30:48	30:48
42 to 46	31:00	26:25	30:48	30:48
47 to 51	32:00	27:16	31:48	31:48
52 to 56	32:00	27:16	31:48	31:48
57 to 61	33:00	28:07	32:50	32:50
Over 62	33:00	28:07	32:50	32:50

Go times for the F column

The table labels this column F. The calculator reads it for women on the general standard.

Army Fitness Test alternate event go times for women on the general standard (column F), by age group

Age group	2.5 mile walk	12 km bike	1 km swim	5 km row
17 to 21	34:00	28:58	33:48	33:48
22 to 26	33:30	28:31	33:18	33:18
27 to 31	33:00	28:07	32:48	32:48
32 to 36	33:30	28:31	33:18	33:18
37 to 41	34:00	28:58	33:48	33:48
42 to 46	34:00	28:58	33:48	33:48
47 to 51	35:00	29:50	34:48	34:48
52 to 56	35:00	29:50	34:48	34:48
57 to 61	36:00	30:41	35:48	35:48
Over 62	36:00	30:41	35:48	35:48

The Army's table prints "Over 62" after the 57 to 61 group and says nothing about age 62 itself. The Army Fitness Test calculator puts age 62 in the last group.

How the alternate counts in the total

The other events are scored from the tables as usual. The documents give no formula for the total of a modified AFT on the general standard. What they state is the go or no-go and the 60 or 0 points.

For a combat specialty soldier on a permanent profile, Army Directive 2025-06 sets the pass line at an average of 70 points on the events the soldier takes. Four events need 280. The calculator applies that line to the four scored events. The directive does not say how the alternate counts inside that average.