Recruits for the United States Army are being advised to come well prepared for the grueling fitness test set to become mandatory in October 2020.

Chief of Staff General Mark Milley spoke bluntly about the fitness expectations at the Association of the United States Army's annual conference in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

'If you can't get in shape in 24 months, then maybe you should hit the road,' Milley said, according to Task and Purpose. 'Maybe you should consider an alternative to this.'

Chief of Staff General Mark Milley spoke about the fitness expectations at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual conference in Washington, D.C. on Monday

The new 50-minute test includes: a strength dead lift, throwing a medicine ball overhead, a set of push ups that require hands to come off the ground, a 250-meter 'spring, drag, carry' event and a two-mile run.

Along with the new test layout, each event will will graded using a 'moderate,' 'signifcant,' or 'heavy' physical exertion grade.

Milley explained that the aims of the intense expectations is to greatly reduce the number of casualties on the battlefield.

'We don't want to lose thousands of soldiers,' Milley asserted. 'This fitness test is hard and no one should be under any illusions about it. But where we really don't want to lose soldiers is on the battlefield. We don't want young men and women killed in action because they weren't fit.'

The new test will become mandatory on October 1, 2020

Milley cited the Koren War and how many soldiers weren't prepared for the peninsula's hilly terrain, resulting in 'countless numbers' of deaths.

He added that the new test is more in line with what soldiers can expect out on the field.

Milley explained: 'This has everything to do with effectiveness in combat — that's why it's gender-neutral; that's why it's age-neutral.

Included in the test: a strength deadlift, throwing a medicine ball, a set of push ups, a 250-meter 'spring, drag, carry' event and a two-mile run

'Combat is unforgiving. It doesn't matter how old you are. The enemy doesn't care. Before they shoot you, they don't say: 'Hey are you 25 or are you 45?' They don't do that. They just shoot you. And dead is dead.

So we want to make sure that our soldiers are in top physical condition to withstand the rigors of ground combat.

'And there's nothing like it. Ground combat is unbelievable. Go look at those kids, who are walking up and down the hills of Afghanistan. My dad at the beaches of Iwo Jima went 19 consecutive days without eating in some of the most brutal combat in military history. Combat is not for the faint of heart. It's not for the weak-kneed.'

Milly anticipates there to be 'a bit of a culture shock' for the army and expects complaints, but has faith that his soldiers will deliver the desired results.

'We’ve got to get this Army hard,' Milley added. 'We’ve got to get it hard fast.'