Armed Services Articles

Article / Updated 11-30-2022

Listen to the article:Download audio Uncle Sam wants you! But first, you have to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). This battery of tests covers ten subjects, and you have to earn a passing score before you can join any branch of the military. The catch is that you can only take the ASVAB if your high school offers it or a military recruiter arranges an appointment at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) or another testing location. Usually, high schools arrange for large groups of juniors and seniors to take the test all at one time — but if yours didn’t, you missed school that day, or high school is a distant memory for you, your only other option is to sit down with an Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, or Army recruiter and schedule the test. Your ASVAB scores are only valid for up to two years. If you took the test in high school more than two years ago, you have to retake it at your nearest MEPS before you can enlist. How you take the ASVAB test The ASVAB isn’t a one-size-fits-all test; it comes in a few varieties. High-schoolers typically take the paper-and-pencil (P&P) version, which requires you to open a test booklet and fill in answer bubbles on a separate sheet of paper; people who take the test at a Military Entrance Test (MET) site do this, too. (MET sites are located in remote areas that aren’t within a reasonable drive of a MEPS.) But most people take the computer adaptive test (CAT-ASVAB), which all takes place on a computer. You select an answer choice and move on to the next question, moving through the subtests until you’re finished or run out of time. It’s nearly impossible to cheat on the ASVAB (and you wouldn’t want to, anyway — when you get busted, you won’t be allowed to enlist). Your test-taking neighbors are all answering different questions than you are. When test proctors hand out P&P test booklets, they hand out several different versions, and the CAT-ASVAB adapts itself to your skill level. What does the ASVAB cover? The ASVAB tests your knowledge in ten topic areas through the following subtests: General Science tests your high school science knowledge, touching on biology, chemistry, and physical sciences. Arithmetic Reasoning takes a snapshot of your ability to solve mathematical word problems at a high-school level. Word Knowledge asks you to find the correct meanings of words to gauge your English vocabulary. Paragraph Comprehension presents you with reading passages, and it’s your job to answer questions and draw conclusions about them. Mathematics Knowledge tests your ability to solve algebra and geometry problems. Electronics Information features questions about circuitry, electrical principles, and electronic terminology. Auto Information asks questions about (you guessed it) automobiles and how they work. Shop Information checks your knowledge of tools, shop terminology, and best practices when it comes to building and making repairs with a wide range of materials. Mechanical Comprehension opens the door to your knowledge of mechanical (as in levers and pulleys) and physics principles. Assembling Objects requires you to connect the dots (literally) to show off your spatial reasoning skills and demonstrate how well you can fit together puzzle-like pieces. The Auto Information and Shop Information subtests are combined and called Auto and Shop (AS) on the paper-and-pencil version of the test; on the CAT-ASVAB, it’s presented on its own. How long is the ASVAB test? The P&P version of the tests presents questions of easy, medium, and hard difficulty in random order, but the CAT-ASVAB tailors itself to your ability. It starts by asking you a question of medium difficulty; if you get it right, it asks you a harder question. If you get it wrong, it asks you an easier question. The following tables break down how many questions you need to answer (and how quickly you have to tackle them) in each subtest. CAT-ASVAB Subtest Number of Questions Time to Complete General Science 15 10 minutes Arithmetic Reasoning 15 55 minutes Word Knowledge 15 9 minutes Paragraph Comprehension 10 27 minutes Mathematics Knowledge 15 23 minutes Electronics Information 15 10 minutes Auto Information 10 7 minutes Shop Information 10 6 minutes Mechanical Comprehension 15 22 minutes Assembling Objects 15 17 minutes Total 135 questions 173 minutes P&P Subtest Number of Questions Time to Complete General Science 25 11 minutes Arithmetic Reasoning 30 36 minutes Word Knowledge 35 11 minutes Paragraph Comprehension 15 13 minutes Mathematics Knowledge 25 24 minutes Electronics Information 20 9 minutes Auto and Shop Information 25 11 minutes Mechanical Comprehension 25 19 minutes Assembling Objects 25 15 minutes Total 225 questions 149 minutes If you took the ASVAB through an Army recruiter and later discover that the Air Force (or any other branch) is a better choice, it’s no problem — your scores are portable. Every branch takes the same test, and the military-at-large breaks down your scores for each branch when it grades your performance. You can join any branch you want, as long as you qualify, after taking the ASVAB once. What is the AFQT score? Your scores on Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Mathematics Knowledge blend together to make up your Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score. Every branch has a minimum AFQT score it’s willing to accept — and if you don’t make the grade, you don’t qualify for enlistment. Each branch also uses individual subtest scores and combinations of those scores to determine which military jobs you qualify for. If you take the CAT-ASVAB, the computer automatically (and immediately) tallies your score. If you take the P&P version, your test proctor will arrange for scoring and you’ll find out how well you did within several days. Your recruiter will tell you which jobs are open to you based on your scores.

Article / Updated 10-07-2022

On the Mechanical Comprehension subtest of the ASVAB test, you need to know the definition of work and understand the basics of potential and kinetic energy and resistance. Mechanically speaking, work happens when a force (usually measured in pounds) moving over a measurable distance (usually measured in feet) overcomes a resistance. In the United States, the unit of measure for work is often called a foot-pound. (Note: The rest of the world uses the newton-meter, or joule.) One foot-pound of work occurs when a 1-pound weight is lifted to a height of 1 foot. You can represent this concept in equation form: Work = Force × Distance Work is different from effort; work is the result of effort. You can think of effort as being force and of work as being what you produce with that force. Working out the difference between potential and kinetic energy Energy is the capacity to do work. Every object in the universe has energy, and it’s either potential or kinetic. Potential energy is stored energy — energy that’s not doing anything at the moment but that’s in the object by virtue of its position in a field. If a book is resting in your hands, the book itself is holding potential energy. If you raise the book over your head, you’re increasing its potential energy (thanks to the Earth’s gravitational pull). When you accidentally drop it, all its potential energy becomes kinetic energy, or energy in motion. When the book hits the ground, its energy becomes potential again. Potential energy can’t be transferred between objects. The more massive an object is, the more potential and kinetic energy it has (so a bowling ball contains more energy than a basketball does). Both these forms of energy are measured in joules. Overcoming resistance The resistance that the work overcomes isn’t the same thing as the weight of the object. (If you’ve ever tried to put your freaked-out cat in a cat carrier to go to the vet, you know what I mean.) In other words, if you try to move a 1,200-pound piano, you’ll probably notice a measurable difference between the amount of work it takes to shove it along the floor and the amount of work it takes to carry it up the stairs. But don’t take my word for it — you can demonstrate this concept at home. First, find a 1,200-pound piano and push it across the floor. Next, put it on your back and carry it up the stairs. See the difference? (Really, don’t put the piano on your back. I’m just trying to make a point here.) When you move the piano across the floor, you’re really working (pushing) against the frictional resistance (the force that’s produced when two surfaces rub together) of the piano rather than its full weight. Under these circumstances, the frictional resistance of the piano offers less resistance than its full weight. There are times when an object’s full weight is less than its frictional resistance. Consider trying to push a textbook across a deep-pile carpet. Picking the book up and carrying it is easier. Gaining power by working more quickly Power is the rate of work. If Mary Lou is able to lift more 50-pound sacks of potatoes onto the truck bed in 10 minutes than Joe is, Mary Lou is more powerful than Joe. Mathematically speaking, Power = Work / Time. In this formula, work is usually measured in foot-pounds, time is measured in minutes, and power is measured in foot-pounds per minute. However, the unit of measure for power is commonly put in terms of horsepower (hp). Horsepower is derived from the estimate that an average horse can do 33,000 foot-pounds of work in 1 minute (according to James Watt). Therefore, 1 horsepower = 33,000 foot-pounds per minute. One horsepower is also the same as 550 foot-pounds per second.

Article / Updated 09-29-2022

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) comes in five versions, depending on where and why you take it. The varieties of the test are essentially the same; they’re just administered differently. The following table boils them down. Versions of the ASVAB Version How You Take It Format Purpose Student Given to juniors and seniors in high school; it’s administered through a cooperative program between the Department of Education and the Department of Defense at high schools across the United States Paper Its primary purpose is to provide a tool for guidance counselors to use when recommending civilian career areas to high school students (though it can be used for enlistment if taken within two years of enlistment). For example, if a student scores high in electronics, the counselor can recommend electronics career paths. If a student is interested in military service, the counselor then refers her to the local military recruiting offices. Enlistment Given through a military recruiter at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) or at a satellite testing site Usually computer, may be paper This version of the ASVAB is used by all the military branches for the purpose of enlistment qualification and to determine which military jobs a recruit can successfully be trained in. Enlistment Screening Test (EST) Given at the discretion of a military recruiter for a quick enlistment qualification screening Computer These mini-ASVABs aren’t qualification tests; they’re strictly recruiting and screening tools. The EST contains about 50 questions similar but not identical to questions on the AFQT portion of the ASVAB. The test is used to help estimate an applicant’s probability of obtaining qualifying ASVAB scores. Pre-screening, internet-delivered Computerized Adaptive Test (PiCAT) Online, on your own time after receiving an access code from your recruiter Computer The PiCAT is an unproctored, full version of the ASVAB. You take it on your own time, but you must take a verification test at a MEPS to validate your score. The verification test typically takes 25 to 30 minutes to complete. Armed Forces Classification Test (AFCT) Given at installation educational centers to people already in the military through the Defense Manpower Data Center Computer At some point during your military career, you may want to retrain for a different job. If you need higher ASVAB scores to qualify for such retraining, or if you’re a commissioned officer who wants to become a warrant officer, you can take the AFCT. The AFCT is essentially the same as the other versions of the ASVAB. The vast majority of military applicants are processed through a MEPS, where they take the computerized format of the ASVAB (called the CAT-ASVAB, short for computerized-adaptive testing ASVAB), undergo a physical exam, and run through a security screening, many times all in one trip. The paper-and-pencil (P&P) version is most often given in high school and at Mobile Examination Test (MET) sites located throughout the United States. Most MET sites use paper versions of the test. See also, " Deciphering ASVAB Scores."

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-26-2022

The first step toward acing the Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT, is to study each test event and understand what Uncle Sam expects from you. From there, it’s all about functional fitness training and giving your body the right fuel to succeed.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-14-2022

As any professional military commander will tell you, knowing your enemy is the first step in winning a battle. After all, how can you expect to pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) if you don’t know what’s on the test? Here are some test-taking tips and key info about ASVAB test formats and ASVAB subtests to help you score well on the ASVAB, get into the service of your choice, and qualify for your dream job.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-08-2022

The key to success for any method of study is having one. So if you’re preparing to take the ASVAB, set up a structured study plan using the following guide, and stick to it. Before you put your study plan into action though, be sure to review the tips included here on how to fine-tune your studying experience for success and kick-start your memory retention powers.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-11-2022

If you're thinking about joining the U.S. military, your Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score may well be the most important score you achieve on any military test. You need a qualifying score on the AFQT, or your plans for enlistment come to a dead end — and each branch of the military has its own minimum AFQT score requirements. Part of getting a high score on the AFQT involves brushing up on your math skills. You need to memorize key formulas and use proven test-taking strategies to maximize your chances for a high math score. The other part is making sure you have a firm grasp on English; in order to ace the language parts of the AFQT, you need a solid vocabulary and good reading comprehension skills.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-16-2021

If your sights are set on becoming a military aviator, you need to do well on a military flight aptitude test administered by the armed services — the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps — and the Coast Guard. Whether you're taking the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT), the Army's Selection Instrument for Flight Training (SIFT), or the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB, used by the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard), be sure to create a study plan, prepare yourself for test day, and brush up on your multiple-choice skills. Photo by James Lewis on Unsplash

Article / Updated 08-30-2021

Many versions of the ASVAB exist, but you don’t have a say in which one you take. The versions primarily boil down to two basic differences: the computerized version and the paper version. Each version has advantages and disadvantages. If you’re taking the ASVAB as part of the student program in high school, you’ll take the paper version of the test—the one that doesn’t include the Assembling Objects subtest. If you’re taking the ASVAB to enlist in the military, you’ll take the enlistment ASVAB. This version comes in two formats: computerized (CAT-ASVAB) and paper-and-pencil (P&P). You may even take the "Pre-screening, online Computerized Adaptive Test" (PiCAT) on your own time. In any event, there’s a great chance that you’ll take a computerized version, because to save time and money, recruiters often accompany their applicants to the nearest Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) for testing, medical examination, and enlistment (one-stop shopping). MEPS only uses the computerized version, and the P&P version is offered only at Military Entrance Test (MET) sites that aren’t within an easy traveling distance to MEPS. If your high school schedules a testing event, you’ll most likely take the P&P version as well. Your recruiter might be able to schedule an ASVAB-only test session and bring you back in for a follow-up physical (and to sign your contract) if you can’t complete everything in one day. There are 65 MEPS locations in the United States and Puerto Rico, and MET sites are located in each state (often at National Guard armories or local high schools). Cheating gets you thrown out of the testing location. But even if you were able to get away with looking at your neighbor’s paper or computer screen, you’d fail the test. There are several versions of the test, and the people sitting around you have different questions presented in different orders. Going paperless: The pros and cons of the computerized test The computerized version of the ASVAB uses computerized adaptive testing (CAT) to make sure each applicant gets questions tailored to his or her ability level. This version, called the CAT-ASVAB, presents test questions in a different format. It adapts the questions it offers you based on your level of proficiency (that’s why it’s called adaptive). In a CAT test, the first test item is of average difficulty. If you answer this question correctly, the next question may be more difficult. If you answer that first question incorrectly, the computer will most likely follow with an easier question. By contrast, on the paper ASVAB, easy and hard questions are presented randomly. The CAT-ASVAB also has fewer questions than the paper-and-pencil version has — the people who designed it did that on purpose. With this type of testing, the computer can quickly determine how much you know without asking you a full range of very easy to very hard questions. Maybe it’s because people today are more comfortable in front of a computer than with a pencil, but military recruiters have noted that among applicants who’ve taken both the paper-based and computerized versions of the ASVAB, many applicants tend to score slightly higher on the computerized version of the test. You don’t have to be a computer guru to appreciate the advantages of the computerized version of the ASVAB: It’s impossible to record your answer in the wrong space on the answer sheet. Questions and possible answers are presented on the screen, and you press the key that corresponds to your answer choice before moving on to the next question. Often, only the A, B, C, and D keys are activated when you take the test. The difficulty of the test items presented depends on whether you answered the previous question correctly. On the two math subtests of the ASVAB, harder questions are worth more points than easier questions are, so this method helps maximize your Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score. You get your scores right away. The computer automatically calculates and prints your standard scores for each subtest and your line scores for each service branch. This machine is a pretty smart cookie — it also calculates your AFQT percentile score on the spot. You usually know whether you qualify for military enlistment on the same day you take the test and, if so, which jobs you qualify for. On the downside, you can’t skip questions or change your answers after you enter them on the CAT-ASVAB. Instead of being able to go through and immediately answer all of the questions you’re sure of, you have to answer each question as it comes. This can make it difficult to judge how much time to spend on a tough question before guessing and moving on. Also, if you have a few minutes at the end of the test, you can’t go back and make sure you marked the correct answer to each question. Finally, the CAT-ASVAB is the only version of the test that includes tryout questions, which can stretch out your total test-taking time. But on a positive note, the tryout questions don’t affect your score. The PiCAT: The ASVAB’S stay-at-home cousin The Pre-screening, internet-delivered Computer Adaptive Test, or PiCAT, is the military’s way of operating more efficiently and speeding up the enlistment process. It allows recruiters to give applicants a special access code to take a full-length, unproctored ASVAB on any computer. After a recruit completes the PiCAT, and his or her scores are high enough to enlist in the military, the recruiter can take the recruit to MEPS for verification testing. Verification testing takes 25 to 30 minutes, and its purpose is simple: to make sure the recruit wasn’t at home looking up answers to ASVAB test questions. When PiCAT scores are verified (meaning the recruit most likely didn’t cheat on the test), the recruit is good to go for enlistment. When the scores aren’t verified (meaning the recruit scored poorly on the verification test compared to how they scored on the PiCAT), the recruit must take a full-length ASVAB at MEPS. The resulting ASVAB score will be the score of record. Not all recruiters use the PiCAT, and those who do may not use it for all applicants. Writing on hard copy: The advantages and disadvantages of the paper version The questions on the CAT-ASVAB are the same questions you get on the paper version. Some people feel that the paper-and-pencil ASVAB provides certain advantages: You can skip questions that you don’t know the answer to and come back to them later. This option can help when you’re racing against the clock and want to get as many answers right as possible. You can change an answer on the subtest you’re currently working on, but you can’t change an answer on a subtest after the time for that subtest has expired. You may not make any marks in the exam booklet; however, you may make notes on your scratch paper. If you skip a question, you can lightly circle the item number on your answer sheet to remind yourself to go back to it. If you don’t know the answer to a question, you can mentally cross off the answers that seem unlikely or wrong to you and then guess based on the remaining answers. Be sure to erase any stray marks you make on your answer sheet before time is called for that subtest. Killing trees isn’t the only disadvantage of the paper-based test. Other drawbacks include the following: Harder questions are randomly intermingled with easier questions. This means you can find yourself spending too much time trying to figure out the answer to a question that’s too hard for you and may miss answering some easier questions at the end of the subtest, thereby lowering your overall score. The paper answer sheets are scored by using an optical mark scanning machine. The machine has a conniption when it comes across an incompletely filled-in answer circle or a stray pencil mark and will often stubbornly refuse to give you credit, even if you answered correctly. Getting your scores may seem like it takes forever. The timeline varies; however, your recruiter will have access to your score no later than 72 hours after you finish the test (not counting days the MEPS doesn’t work, such as weekend days or holidays).

Article / Updated 04-02-2021

If you walked into a gym right now, you’d most likely see rows of machines dedicated to training just one muscle at a time. Those are great for bodybuilders but not necessarily for the average soldier. Because most military occupational specialties (MOSs) have at least minimal physical demands, and because those demands require real-world movement, many of the machines at the gym are great supplements to your training. However, you definitely need movement training, too. Distinguishing muscle training from movement training Improving athleticism, which is what the Army is really testing with the ACFT, requires a combination of muscular and movement-based training. Movement training is unlike muscle training. It harnesses your natural human kinetics—the way you move—and makes your movements stronger, more stable, and safer. In standard muscle training, you have to isolate a muscle (or a group of muscles) to focus all your work there. Your intent is to put force in just one region of your body, like your chest, while the rest of your body is stabilized and still, and your goal is to see just how much force you can send into that region and still execute a movement, such as a chest press. You don’t want to “cheat” by using momentum because that means other muscles are pitching in to help you execute the movement. That’s fine if that’s the type of training you’re doing. But when you need motor skills you can use outside the gym, and if you need to be efficient with your movement (like you do on the ACFT and on the battlefield), you need your muscles to work together to accomplish a result. Whether you’re putting together a GP Medium or carrying one of your squad members to safety, your movement training kicks in. Movement training is about improving motor tasks that take you outside the linear plane. Movement training integrates your whole body. And with the ACFT, the Army is testing your ability to pull off complex movements—not just your ability to use your pecs and a few smaller muscles to push yourself off the ground. That means you have to cross-train, use three-dimensional movements and your planar movements, and use weight training to complement everything you’re doing if you want to perform well on the ACFT. These 3D movements come with a wide range of other benefits, too, such as improved Aerobic capacity Coordination Joint health Resiliency in multidirectional movements outside the gym Tensile strength in your connective tissues The more momentum you can harness while controlling your form, the more efficiently you work. Your brain automatically wants to execute all your body’s movements in ways that are easiest to accomplish—but not necessarily in ways that prevent injury (think about the last time you did bicep curls and threw your back into them, or picked up a box from the floor without bending your legs). Planar movement With physical training, you can do your work in one or more of the three planes of motion: the sagittal plane, the frontal plane, and the transverse plane. If you’re working in the sagittal plane, you’re moving two-dimensionally—up and down or back and forth. In the frontal plane, you’re making side-to-side movements. Finally, in the transverse plane, you’re using twisting or rotating movements. Work in any of these planes can be unloaded, which means you have only your body weight, or loaded, which means you’re using an external mass while moving. An external mass can be anything from a barbell loaded with weight to your Improved Outer Tactical Vest, or IOTV. Most exercises in the three planes of motion fall into one or more of four main categories: Unloaded linear movements: Linear movements are in the sagittal plane or the frontal plane. You’re running, cycling, or performing some types of strength training. Linear exercises move only horizontally or vertically. Unloaded 3D movements: Movements that cross over the borders between the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes are 3D movements. Things like sports (tennis, football, baseball, and a number of others), dancing, and many types of martial arts use unloaded 3D movements. Loaded linear movements: Loaded movements keep you in the sagittal or frontal plane and involve external weight. Running while carrying a litter, squatting with a bar on your back, and doing everyday bicep curls are loaded linear movements. The external weight can range from resistance bands and barbells to the flywheel of an adjustable stationary cycle or full battle rattle. Loaded 3D movements: Working through different planes with an external weight means you’re doing loaded 3D movements. These movements, like agility drills, modified exercises (such as shoulder extensions with a trunk rotation), and lateral lunges with a plate reach involving rotation. Strictly training in loaded linear movements can easily result in overuse injuries. Working in 3D allows other muscles, connective tissues, and joints to pitch in to complete a task, which “shares the load.” The 4Q model The 4Q model allows you to group exercises together by type: unloaded linear, unloaded 3D, loaded linear, and loaded 3D. (Check out the preceding section for more on these types of movements.) The figure shows the 4Q model, as well as some of the exercises that belong in each quadrant. Training in all four quadrants is essential for optimal results. If your goal is overall strength and endurance, you can’t leave one (or more) out. Unloaded training Unloaded training—commonly called body weight training—refers to exercises like push-ups and pull-ups. Despite what you’ve heard, body weight training isn’t inherently easier than loaded training is. The Leg Tuck on the ACFT is a perfect illustration of that; it’s all body weight, but for many people, it’s one of the most difficult exercises to perform. Loaded training Loaded training requires you to add external mass to movement. Any mass counts, whether it’s a 1-kilogram plate alone or a bar loaded with 400 pounds. How much mass you need to move to make gains and improve your fitness level depends on your current level of physical fitness. Your body will adapt to larger loads over time, provided that you use something that challenges you and forces a change in your muscles. When your body adapts to a certain amount of weight, it’s no longer going to force your muscles to adapt, so if you want to become stronger, you have to increase the mass of the loads you’re working with. Loaded movements are movements that involve an external mass that’s not part of your body. Running is an unloaded linear movement, while running while wearing your IOTV is a loaded linear movement. Throwing your rucksack over a wall is a loaded 3D movement, and climbing up the wall after it (if you’re not wearing your kit) is an unloaded linear movement. (If you’re wearing your kit, it becomes a loaded linear movement.) Going over the top of the wall to come down on the other side is a 3D movement; it’s unloaded or loaded depending on whether you’re wearing your kit. Loaded multi-planar (3D) training for the ACFT Loaded multi-planar training is relatively new—at least in the gym. Classic strength training isolates muscles with the purpose of strengthening only those muscles, as evidenced by people hitting the gym for “chest day” or “cardio day.” (Everyone knows what happens when “leg day” isn’t part of a weekly routine.) But loaded multi-planar movement falls into the upper-right quadrant in the 4Q model, and training there is absolutely essential for passing the ACFT. The bottom line is that functioning in and out of the Army requires the human body to move mass while in motion, and most of the time, you have to move that mass in a way that asymmetrically loads your body or puts it in a weird position. If you’re only training to carry something by using both biceps evenly at the same time, without any help from your back or legs, you’re not going to perform as efficiently or as safely as you would if you practiced loaded movement training that integrated your whole body. ACFT events in the 4Q model The table shows whether each of the ACFT events falls into the loaded linear or unloaded linear quadrant of the 4Q model. The test is mostly about linear movement, but training to perform well on the test requires you to work in all four quadrants. Each event gives the Army a good look at how you perform 3D movements, such as surmounting an obstacle or extracting a casualty from a vehicle, which are hard to grade. Some of the events require a combination of muscular strength and endurance plus cardiovascular endurance, such as the drag and carry shuttles of the Sprint-Drag-Carry. ACFT Events in 4Q Quadrants Loaded Linear Movement Unloaded Linear Movement 3 Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL) Hand Release Push-Up – Arm Extension (HRP) Standing Power Throw (SPT) Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC) Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC) Leg Tuck (LTK) Two-Mile Run (2MR) Note that the Sprint-Drag-Carry falls under two quadrants: loaded linear movement and unloaded linear movement. That’s because this single event comprises four individual activities. The sprints and laterals are unloaded linear movements, while the drag and carry are loaded linear movements.