Force Test Average Times

[dapaterson]

Poacher: There's a long thread discussing the "why" of FORCE; this one is to present results.  If you want to vent and display your ignorance of what FORCE and is not (and does and does not measure), that thread would be a better fit.

 

[Poacher434]

Gentleman lets take a deep breath and relax.

Lets revert back to soldier first. There is a reason why every Army trade does an SQ or BMQ-L or what ever the heck it is called. They all learn section attacks.

I am not using infantry as the end all be all, I am just using it as the best example I can give as that is the trade I know the best.

My stance stands, as a SOLDIER within the CAF, physical fitness should be important, I am just curious as to why the bar is set so astronomically low. Is it simply just a way to weed out those who are injured? Is it a stepping stone on the assumption that members who struggle will take it amongst themselves to improve their own level? Maybe... will those members do so I think we can all agree that's a 50/50.

All I am trying to say is in my personal opinion, I think the force test is too easy, I wasn't a big fan of the express test either but I think it was a better system.

Now lets all do some tactical breathing and calm down on the whole thing before some people start giving themselves a heart attack

 

[mariomike]

This thread is for times.

Perhaps the discussion can be moved to,

Fitness for Operational Requirements of CF Employment (FORCE): New PT test stds 
http://army.ca/forums/threads/106313.850.html
35 pages.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I disagree completely. These tests are design to provide a decent approximation of actual tasks/movements you can reasonably expected to perform in the course of your duties, and as such, they hold significant physical value. These are not physical fitness tests!. We are not measuring who is the fastest, strongest, fittest person in the forces. These are results-based tests, whose actions and minimum times are designed to determine whether or not you can perform the physical aspects of a career in the CAF.

Off the top of my head, I can think of examples where I performed actual military tasks that are pretty much identical to FORCE test activities.

1. Dragging an unconscious member who is full fire fighting equipment down the flats during a fire = Sand Bag Drag
2. Hauling compressed air diving tanks up and down from the dive locker to the upper decks - Intermittent Loaded/Un-Loaded Shuttle
3. Storing ship (if you're the one near the pallets or on the ladders) - Sand Bags
4. We don't ever run on ship, so we don't really have an equivalent to the 20m Rushes....

Now, since adding in the incentive levels, we can now measure both minimum capability as well as assess fitness level. We just ran our FORCE test and some fairly fit people pushed themselves really hard and still only attained silver.

Just for comparison:

28yo, Male, 5'7", 185lbs
Rushes: 33sec
Sand Bag Lift: 57 sec (this destroyed my quads and gave me trouble on the next two tests)
Intermittent Loaded/Unloaded shuttle: 2min 54 sec (our fastest of the day was 2:31, and I definitely could have done better. I was only "running" for the unloaded part and not "sprinting")
Sand-Bag Drag: 15 sec

They left out an important one:

Killing someone with a bayonet, at night, while running uphill in the rain loaded with full fighting order following a grueling approach march on no sleep and less food to restore the front following the first gas attack in history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kitcheners%27_Wood

But hey, we won't have to do any of that kind of stuff in the future, will we?

 

[ArmedAndUseless]

17 year old male. I admit that there was more I could have done to prepare, but I'm just relived I passed (When I went to the armoury to hand in my transcripts and whatnot people didn't hide their eyeing me up, chuckles, etc. I seriously questioned whether I could get through the process or not). I'm sure that my times for the next FORCE test will improve. Here are my times in order of completion:

Sand Bag Lift: 1:20
Loaded Shuttle: 3:15
20 Metre Rushes: 0:40
Sand Bag Drag: 0:30

 

[cld617]

Late 20's male

Rush 0:30
Sandbag lift 0:45
Loaded shuttle 2:33
Drag 0:10

I'm actually blown away how fast people are completing the shuttle in my age category. I'd need to knock 20+ seconds off my time to be as competitive in that as I am in the others. Some people doing some creative walking in between unloaded phases.

 

[Arty39]

Shuttle Run: 30 seconds
Sandbag Lift: 47 seconds
Sandbag Carry: 2:27
Sandbag Drag: 9 seconds

Late 20's male, fitness level gold.

 

[caocao]

Shuttle Run: 34 seconds
Sandbag Lift: 1:03 seconds
Sandbag Carry: 2:59
Sandbag Drag: 15 seconds

Male, 50 YOA - 15 pets from Gold Level

 

[Kerosen]

49 years old and without sweating

Maybe they should offer free army.ca memberships if you get silver.

sandbag 1:27
carry 3:10
drag 16
shuttle 41

At 46 i did

sandbag 1:01
carry 3:19
drag 19
shuttle 42

 

[RedcapCrusader]

Late 20's male

Rush 0:30
Sandbag lift 0:45
Loaded shuttle 2:33
Drag 0:10

I'm actually blown away how fast people are completing the shuttle in my age category. I'd need to knock 20+ seconds off my time to be as competitive in that as I am in the others. Some people doing some creative walking in between unloaded phases.

You're allowed to run for the unloaded shuttle, but walk only during the loaded shuttle. Unless they've gone and changed it since my last one.

 

[cld617]

You're allowed to run for the unloaded shuttle, but walk only during the loaded shuttle. Unless they've gone and changed it since my last one.

My point was, to attain a score in that event that is as competitive as my other ones were I'd have to knock off 20-25 seconds from an already quick run, and to take the record I'd have to do a sub 1min50sec loaded shuttle. It simply isn't attainable without the people taking scores from allowing some creative "walking".

 

[OttCap]

I am curious how well most people do on the Force Test.

What times did you guys achieve on the three that are timed, AKA the 80 meter sprint with going prone ever 10 meters, the Sand bag lift, and the loaded shuttle run.

I know most people find the new FORCE test easy, but still interesting to know how most people preform on each step of the test.

Just did it for the first time at BMQ a few weeks ago so I don't remember all my times.

Rush 0:40ish
Sandbag lift 1:08
Loaded shuttle 2:30
Drag 0:15

Late 20's male, didn't even crack bronze, although to be honest I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing either. We have another test in a couple of weeks, I'm sure I'll be bronze or higher now that I know what I'm doing.