Basic Fitness Test (BFT) and Combat Fitness Test (CFT) are fundamental tests that every serving member of Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) must undergo annually. They serve as a cornerstone to check both the combat fitness and readiness of officers and men in GAF. Besides, the tests better connect fitness with combat readiness, agility and endurance of officers and soldiers in uniform. These tests are not new to officers and soldiers, though they may be challenging; they are mandatory and conducted in line with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Training Directives. The BFT is an individual event with timing, where as the CFT is a collective event.
In this regards, The Gambia Armed Forces Training School (GAFTS), on Tuesday 1st March and Friday 4th March 2022 respectively, conducted the above mentioned assessments to check the combat fitness and readiness of its troops as an accomplishment of the CDS’s Training Directives. Both tests were led by the Commandant of GAFTS, Major Abdoulie Bah and coordinated by the Physical Training Instructors. The British Army Liaison Officer to GAF, Captain Robbie also participated in the exercise.
These tests are not only mandatory but prerequisite for all men in uniform, as it shows the individual officer’s and soldier’s preparedness to shoulder any military activities with maximum best. As a training institution, GAFTS recorded 100 percent success in both events.