Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20220324

A28 u.s. news
Diahuebs 24 Maart 2022

Army eases fitness test standards for women, older troops

culty passing it. Troops in the Hardison said the RAND soldiers differently based on
National Guard and Reserve study, which included analy- their age and gender. Of-
were also struggling and were sis of about 460,000 soldiers’ ficials rolled out the new,
having a hard time finding tests, concluded there was harder version that graded
and getting equipment need- limited evidence showing everyone equally, but allow
ed to train on and practice for that the resulting scores ac- some flexibility in scores for
the test. curately predicted combat job those with less rigorous jobs.
performance or that doing That program has been done
Chaitra Hardison, a behav- well led to reduced injuries on largely trial basis as they
ioral scientist who wrote the —- two reasons the changes worked to finalize it.
RAND study, said the data were made in the first place.
showed “some groups fail- The new test included a
ing at noticeably higher rates Overall, RAND said the test dead lift, with weights be-
— women, older soldiers, was better used to assess a tween 140 pounds and 340
Guard and Reserve person- soldier’s general physical fit- pounds; a standing power
(AP) — After three years Army jobs, particularly more nel and soldiers in some oc- ness, and not to predict job throw that requires soldiers
of complaints and debate, demanding combat positions cupational specialties.” She performance, and that using a to toss a 10-pound medicine
the Army has scrapped or specialties such as Ranger said the difference in passing tiered scale for passing scores ball backward and overhead;
its move to have a physi- school, will continue to re- rates was the largest between made the test less punitive. two minutes of hand-release
cal fitness test that is gen- quire that everyone — re- the genders. For example, a low fitness pushups; a “sprint-drag-
der- and age-neutral, and gardless of age or gender — score can affect a soldier’s carry” that involves 50-yard
will now allow women must pass the same fitness The latest change will allow ability to be promoted. sprints, a sled drag, and a
and older soldiers to pass tests and standards. women and soldiers to do a sideways shuttle carrying
while meeting some re- bit less in some of the events The overhaul of the Army’s kettle bells; the leg tuck or
duced standards. The Army revamped the and still pass. For example, fitness test in 2019 was trig- plank, and a 2-mile run. Sol-
fitness test three years ago, women would have to pick gered by complaints that sol- diers with a doctor’s note can
The decision comes after a going from three events — up 20 pounds less weight diers were not fit enough. swim, bike or row instead of
study by the RAND research pushups, situps and a run — in the dead lift than men to Nearly half of the command- the run, or they can now do a
organization confirmed that to a more difficult and com- pass, and men older than age ers surveyed a year earlier 2.5 mile walk.
men were passing the new plicated combination of six 46 would also have a lower said new recruits coming in
six-event fitness test at a events. Those six are a dead weight bar. Women and older could not meet the physical Women particularly struggled
much higher rate than wom- lift, power throw, pushups, men would get a minute or demands of combat. Officials with the leg tuck — where
en and that older soldiers plank, run and a combination two longer to complete the also said that about 12% of they hang from a bar and pull
were also struggling with sprint/drag/carry. A leg tuck run. soldiers at any one time were their knees up. The plank
their scores in the expanded, was included early on but has unable to deploy because of was soon added as an alterna-
more difficult test developed been eliminated. The new program also brings injuries. tive test of core strength; now
in 2019. the Army back in line with the tuck is gone.
The new test, however, has the other military services, After months of study, the
The change, however, will been met with widespread which have varying fitness Army shelved its long-stand- Congress ordered the Army
affect only the regular fitness criticism as women and older tests, but all use tiered event ing test — two minutes of sit- to get an independent assess-
test that soldiers take annu- soldiers, including some in requirements based on age ups, two minutes of pushups, ment of the test, and Army
ally. Qualifying for certain senior positions, had diffi- and gender. a 2-mile run — that scored leaders turned to RAND.

Witness: Whitmer kidnapping aimed at stopping Biden win

(AP) - A man who pleaded guilty to planning tarps and scrap materials to resemble the lakeside at a boat launch.
a kidnapping of Michigan Gov. Gretchen property so the men could practice an eventual as-
Whitmer told jurors Wednesday that he and sault. He said his ultimate assignment would be to “per-
his allies wanted to attack before the 2020 form the actual kidnapping.”
election to prevent Joe Biden from winning The goal was “to kidnap the governor,” Garbin told
the presidency. a prosecutor. Garbin, an airplane mechanic, began cooperating
with prosecutors after the group was arrested. He
Ty Garbin didn’t say why they thought an abduc- The jury has heard from FBI agents and an infor- testified to the grand jury that indicted the men,
tion that fall would stop Biden from defeating mant who secretly recorded hours of incriminating and he was rewarded with a relatively light six-year
then-President Donald Trump. conversations. But Garbin’s testimony was signifi- prison sentence, a term that could be reduced after
cant because it came from someone who pleaded the trial.
Garbin, 26, is a critical witness for prosecutors guilty and said he was a willing participant in the
in the trial of four men charged with conspiracy: plan to snatch Whitmer.
Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Daniel Harris and
Brandon Caserta. Another man who pleaded guilty, Kaleb Franks,
will also testify.
The group was arrested a month before the elec-
tion, a stunning bust in the midst of a national Defense lawyers claim the men were entrapped by
campaign that polarized the country. Investigators the government. Garbin, however, told jurors that
said the men were antigovernment extremists who he never heard anyone talk about being swayed by
were trying to come up with $4,000 for an explo- informants.
sive to blow up a bridge in northern Michigan dur-
ing an abduction. He said he invited the group to his property in
Luther, Michigan, to train for a violent assault on
They were angry about Whitmer’s statewide CO- Whitmer’s second home. He put together a crude
VID-19 restrictions and generally disgusted with structure so the men could practice going in and
politicians, according to trial testimony. out of tight spaces.

Garbin explained the scheme to jurors, taking them In September 2020, Garbin, Fox, Croft and others
through days of training, secret messages and a late traveled to Elk Rapids in three vehicles for night
night trip to Whitmer’s weekend home. He talked surveillance of Whitmer’s property. Garbin said his
about how he built a “shoot house” with wood, job was to find the house and flash a light to others