Functionally Useless – Army PRT Review

Criticism first, then recommended fixes to follow. This app is what brass likes. It’s not what the force needs. So much effort went into replicating doctrine. Wow, awesome. Hope lots of folks at the IMT CoE are enjoying their OER/NCOER bullets. However, not near enough effort went into providing successful training plans or competent, concrete insight on what it will take to perform the ACFT well (not just pass!). If the Army is going to employ a test that uses gym equipment and employs pretty complex physical movements, the Army has an obligation to provide the training utilities to set the force up for success. And not just something that will help the lowest common denominators out there. If we train to the lowest common denominator standard then we all become the lowest common denominator. Recommended fixes. First, put the doctrine on one tab and dump doctrine talk for the rest of the app. Communication is everything and it’s impossible to communicate the important goals here to 19-21 years olds, or anyone really, when the instruction comes off like it was ghost-written by a toaster. Communicate well or don’t do the app. Second, like others here have asked for, create workout plans. Develop a set of stair-step plans for success based on beginner/introduction development up to strength building up to advanced level which would focus on getting maximum ACFT scores. Tailor plans for everywhere from six weeks out to six months out. Provide plans for people with gym access and plans for people without gym access. You do these things already, right? The Army employs plenty of people to do this, so I’m just telling you what you’ve already done, right? If not, just go to the folks with Thor3 and they’ll take care of this step for you. Third, provide nutritional guidance. This is a huge component to preparing for the ACFT yet there isn’t a single drop of knowledge on this app about nutrition. Get detailed, get the data out there, and get Soldiers eating well. Fourth, provide a comprehensive fitness tracker. Finally, accept that PRT (i.e. the pre-workout drilling) is a stupid, irresponsible use of people’s time and focus instead on maximizing the intended benefit of the Army’s holistic re-think on fitness over the past three years by enabling (and affirmatively encouraging!) master fitness trainers to do prep that makes sense for their groups. This should have been first but if I put it first folks would probably tune out. But trust me - on this last point about the PRT, the entire force is tuned in.
Review by rheididjd on Army PRT.