(The Hill) -- The U.S. Air Force launched a new “Culture of Fitness” initiative, altering the current physical fitness assessments by adding a 2-mile run and making the test biannual for all service members.

At the start of 2026, the Air Force will halt all physical fitness assessment testing to transition into the updated program. On March 1, the service will start testing service members under the new assessment standards.

All fitness assessments will be diagnostic from March 1 to Aug. 31, to give service members time and space to acclimate to the updated standards, the Air Force said on Wednesday.

The new scoring testing with the updated standard will resume on Sept. 1.

"These fitness changes are about having a healthy, ready force prepared to meet today’s mission and the demands of

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