Can Marines use any equipment when lifting the ammunition can during the CFT?

Marines are required to lift the ammunition can using only their hands during the Combat Fitness Test (CFT). This rule emphasizes the importance of testing physical strength and endurance in a way that simulates real-world conditions, where Marines may not always have access to specialized equipment or assistance. By limiting the lifting method to just the hands, the CFT ensures that all participants are evaluated based solely on their raw physical capabilities, promoting fairness and uniformity in the assessment process.

In this context, the use of tools, specialized lifting gear, or any equipment apart from gloves, which are allowed for grip comfort but not as lifting aids, would defeat the purpose of the exercise by introducing variables that could enhance performance artificially. Therefore, the restriction to only using hands is a crucial element of the test's integrity and effectiveness in measuring the physical readiness of the Marines.