FBI Agents Must Now Pass Fitness Tests
For the first time in 16 years, FBI agents are being made to undergo fitness tests to ensure they're ready for duty. The bureau's 13,500 agents have until October to complete a physical exam that assesses whether they are fit enough to perform the tasks required of the job, according to the New York Times. An internal memo from FBI director James B. Comey announced the exams, which were officially rolled out at the end of last year. Before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, FBI agents performed more fieldwork, like tracking gangs and making arrests. After 9/11, the agency focused on counterterrorism efforts, work that required agents to put in long hours and be desk-bound more often. Some agents gained weight, the Times reports, and others became depressed. The fitness requirements differ based on age and gender, but each agent is required to complete a given number of push-ups and sit-ups without stopping in a short period of time, then sprint a given distance in a certain amount of time as well as complete a 1.5-mile run. NYT