OFFICIALlast verified 2026-10-18U.S. Air Force Pararescue (PJ) & Combat Control (CCT)
Initial Fitness Test (IFT)
Air Force Special Warfare candidates, including pararescuemen (PJ) and combat controllers (CCT), must pass the Initial Fitness Test (IFT), which replaced the PAST: pull-ups, sit-ups and push-ups (2 minutes each), a 1.5-mile run, two 25 m underwater swims and a 500 m swim, in a fixed order with set rests. Failing any event fails the whole test. Recruits on the Special Warfare Open Enlistment contract have 15 minutes for the swim; entry to PJ or CCT by retraining or crossflow requires 12:30.
Move the sliders to your latest results. The verdict updates instantly against the published standards — calculated in your browser, nothing stored.
Your profile
The bigger your shape, the closer you are to the target line.
minimumtargetyouPay · free · 2026 tables
What a PJ or combat controller earns — Hurlburt Field, Florida (BAH area FL056)
- SWSIP Tier 3 (maximum)$615 per month
- AFSOC assignment incentive pay (AIP): $750 for the first 36 months in the unit after training, then $500$500 – $750 per month
2026 rates, gross per month; data/us/pay.md has no ready-made PJ/CCT scenario, so the default (E-5, over 4 years, single) is our pick. SWSIP is shown in place of separate jump and dive pay (Tier 1 $540; Tier 2 $590; Tier 3 $615). Not included: SDAP — the Air Force FY25–FY28 table is not public (the last public amount, from 2016, comes only from the press) — AFSOC AIP, hostile fire pay and bonuses. Source file: data/us/pay.md.
- DFAS — Basic Pay, Enlisted (effective 1 Jan 2026) (Oct 18, 2026)
- DTMO — BAH 2026, MHA FL056 Eglin AFB (ZIP 32544, Hurlburt Field) (Oct 18, 2026)
- DFAS — Basic Allowance for Subsistence 2026 (Oct 18, 2026)
- DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Ch. 24, par. 15 (Special Warfare Skill Incentive Pay, Tables 24-2/24-3) (Oct 18, 2026)
- DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Ch. 15 (Assignment Incentive Pay), par. 3.15, 5.5 (Oct 18, 2026)
The test, event by event
| Event | Minimum — Special Warfare Open Enlistment contract (9T500) | PJ/CCT column — prior service, crossflow, retraining |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-ups, 2 min | 8 | 8 |
| Sit-ups, 2 min | 50 | 50 |
| Push-ups, 2 min | 40 | 40 |
| 1.5-mile run | 10:20 | 10:20 |
| 500 m surface swim (freestyle, breaststroke or sidestroke) | 15:00 | 12:30 |
Also required
- Two 25 m underwater swims (pass/fail, each in a 3-minute cycle): surfacing during the underwater leg is a fail. In the 500 m, stopping — for example at the wall — or touching the bottom is a fail.
- At least 17 and under 42 on the date of enlistment; ASVAB General (G) score of 49 or more; TAPAS 60+ for PJ and 30+ for CCT; normal colour vision and depth perception; background and credit checks (airforce.com).
- Pipeline: basic training (7.5 weeks), Special Warfare Candidate Course (7 weeks, ends with the IFT), Assessment and Selection (4 weeks) and Pre-Dive (4 weeks). Then PJ: combat dive, airborne, military free fall, SERE and 39 weeks of paramedic training; CCT: airborne, military free fall, SERE, air traffic control and Special Tactics training.
- Minimum — Special Warfare Open Enlistment contract (9T500) — AETC/A3S — Initial Fitness Test (IFT) Worksheet, 1 Nov 21 (column SWOE) (2021-11-01)
- PJ/CCT column — prior service, crossflow, retraining — AETC/A3S — Initial Fitness Test (IFT) Worksheet, 1 Nov 21 (column PJ/CCT/TACP/SR) (2021-11-01)
Questions
Which swim time applies to me?
A civilian recruit signs the Special Warfare Open Enlistment (SWOE, 9T500) contract: 500 m in 15:00. The PJ/CCT column (12:30) applies to prior-service, crossflow and retraining candidates, and to reclassification from 9T500 into PJ or CCT — so in practice a future PJ or CCT should aim for 12:30. The IFT is repeated at the Special Warfare Training Wing.
Do PJs have higher standards than CCTs?
Not in the IFT. The official AETC worksheet has a single column for PJ, CCT, TACP and SR. Some websites list higher numbers for PJs; we found no official source for them.
Where do the numbers come from?
From the “Initial Fitness Test (IFT) Worksheet” of 1 November 2021 (AETC/A3S), linked from the Special Warfare Training Wing page “Potential Candidates” (archived 18 April 2026), and from the airforce.com Pararescue and Combat Control pages (read 18 October 2026).
Compare with
UNITED STATESU.S. Navy SEALPhysical Screening Test (PST)UNITED STATESU.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets)Army Fitness Test — combat standard (18X entry)
AUSTRALIAAustralian Army — Special Forces Operator (SASR, 1st & 2nd Commando Regiment)Special Forces PFA (Pre-entry Fitness Assessment)