Maybe this one isn’t as rampant as others, but if you’ve ever been docked a push-up during an APFT for not “keeping your head up,” then this can become a significant emotional event.
I’ve heard NCOs and officers grading an APFT consistently make the correction “keep your head up” and not count a repetition because the soldier didn’t keep his head up, or wasn’t looking forward during a push-up repetition.
While I’m not sure if there is a true belief out there that the push-up only counts if your head is kept up, I’ve heard people say you should keep your head up because it presents a more “confident” appearance while conducting a push-up, as opposed to having your face staring into the dirt.
In the actual instructions, there is nothing said about the position of the head.
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Carrying the Gun 