Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test
In the Fleet Marine Force, the Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test is administered during the second half of the annual year. All Marines are required to take the CFT between July 1 – December 31 each year, unless otherwise excused due to a medical condition that places the Marine on .357 Magnum Ammo For Salelight duty or limited duty. The CFT consists of three events: Maneuver Under Fire (MUF), Ammo Lifts (AL), and Movement to Contact (MTC).
Movement to Contact is an 880 yard run while wearing cammie trousers, blouse, and boots. The objective here is to finish as fast as you can. It is a sprint, so you should maximize your effort the entire time. Remember you will get a 5-minute break immediately following this portion, so give it all your effort.
For the Ammo Lift, you have 2 minutes to complete as many ammo can lifts as you can. You must lift a 30-pound ammunition can overhead from shoulder height. The elbows must lock out at the top. The starting position for the AL is with the ammo can sideways at shoulder height held with both hands, handle facing away from you. The proper lifting technique is head up, chest elevated and lumbar curve maintained. Feet remain shoulder-width apart or staggered in a basic-warrior stance position. You are encouraged to use your legs during the lift. This will provide momentum as well as additional strength, making the lift easier by spreading the work load across multiple muscle groups, as opposed to just using your arms. You will receive another 5-minute break following this event so ensure you give it all your effort once again.
The MANUF is a 300 yard shuttle run that includes a variety of combat-related tasks, to include crawls, buddy drags/carries, ammunition resupply, grenade throw and agility running. You start out in the prone position at the starting line. You get up and run 25 yards, do a j-hook around a cone, then drop down and high crawl for 10 yards. During the high crawl, you must maintain contact with the ground with your elbows, knees, and torso. Next you will raise up to a modified high crawl for the next 15 yards. In the modified high crawl, your torso does not have to maintain contact with the ground. Only hands, knees, and feet must contact the ground. At the 50 yard line, you will negotiate a series of cones set up in a diagonal pattern. The turnaround point is at the 75 yard line.
Here you will grab a simulated casualty (SC) and conduct a buddy drag back to the 65 yard line, while negotiating the cones. To do the buddy drag, you will reach underneath and through the arms of the SC and obtain a solid grasp on both forearms. At the 65 yard line, you will lift the SC up into a fireman’s carry and carry them all the way back to the start line. Once at the start line, you place the SC on the deck, turn around, grab two 30-pound ammo cans and run them back to the 75 yard line. At the 75 yard line, you drop the ammo cans, and pick up a grenade. You throw the grenade into a circle located 15 meters away. Immediately after the grenade throw, you drop down and do 3 pushups. If the grenade lands in the circle, you get 5 seconds deducted from your final score for the MUF. If the grenade lands outside the circle, you get five seconds added. If the grenade lands in the grenade pit area, but rolls out, the throw is considered a hit. If it lands outside the circle, but rolls in, it counts as a miss. After the pushups, you pick up the ammo cans and run back to the start/finish line.
Preparation for the Combat Fitness Test (CFT)