Army
DC National Guard unit among first to complete Army’s new Combat Field Test
Stars and Stripes
May 7, 2026
U.S. Army Col. Lawrence Doane, commander of the 260th Special Purpose Brigade, and Command Sgt. Maj. Scott McKennon, command sergeant major of the 260th Special Purpose Brigade, participate in the Army Combat Field Test at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., May 3, 2026. (Simone Sampson/U.S. Army National Guard)
Soldiers of the D.C. National Guard were among the first to complete the Army’s new Combat Field Test at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington on Sunday.
The Army Department rolled out the new test on April 26, which is intended to evaluate the physical and combat readiness of soldiers who serve in front-line fighting jobs.
The 260th Special Purpose Brigade executed seven consecutive events, which soldiers were required to complete within 30 minutes without rest between exercises, according to a service news release.
U.S. Army Col. Lawrence Doane, commander of the 260th Special Purpose Brigade, and Command Sgt. Maj. Scott McKennon, command sergeant major of the 260th Special Purpose Brigade, participate in the Army Combat Field Test (CFT) at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., May 3, 2026. (Simone Sampson/U.S. Army National Guard)
U.S. Army Col. Lawrence Doane, commander of the 260th Special Purpose Brigade, and Command Sgt. Maj. Scott McKennon, command sergeant major of the 260th Special Purpose Brigade, participate in the Army Combat Field Test (CFT) at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., May 3, 2026. (Simone Sampson/U.S. Army National Guard)
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U.S. Army Col. Lawrence Doane, commander of the 260th Special Purpose Brigade, and Command Sgt. Maj. Scott McKennon, command sergeant major of the 260th Special Purpose Brigade, participate in the Army Combat Field Test (CFT) at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., May 3, 2026. (Simone Sampson/U.S. Army National Guard)
Command Sgt. Maj. Scott McKennon said the soldiers’ results show that their unit is “ready for the fight.”
“In the D.C. National Guard, we lead from the front, solve problems and execute without hesitation,” McKennon said. “We set it up and executed today. That’s how we operate. We get it done in D.C.”
The new test requires soldiers to complete a 1-mile run; 30 dead-stop pushups; a 100-meter sprint; 16 lifts of a 40-pound sandbag onto a 65-inch platform; a 50-meter carry of two 5-gallon, 40-pound water cans; a 50-meter movement drill that includes a 25-meter high crawl and 25-meter 3-to-5 second rush; and then finish with another 1-mile run.
Unlike the Army Fitness Test, which is given to the entire force, soldiers must complete the test wearing the service’s combat uniform and boots instead of physical fitness uniforms.
The CFT is an annual requirement for soldiers in 24 designated combat military occupational specialties, according to the release. Active-duty combat arms soldiers must pass both the CFT and AFT each year, while National Guard and Reserve soldiers alternate annually between the two tests.