https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN37812-ARMY_DIR_2023-08-000-WEB-1.pdf
MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2023-08 (Army Body Fat Assessment Exemption for Army
Combat Fitness Test Score)
1. References. See enclosure.
2. Purpose. This directive implements immediate changes to the Army Body
Composition Program (ABCP) that address findings from the scientific assessment of
the program. It provides incentives to Soldiers to maintain physical readiness and
establishes the process for body fat assessment exemptions when warranted.
3. Applicability. The provisions of this directive apply to the Regular Army, Army
National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and U.S. Army Reserve.
4. Background. The Department of Defense authorized the Army to implement
revisions to the ABCP that account for the whole Soldier concept and improve talent
management. This directive announces immediate modifications to the ABCP to
incentivize high levels of physical fitness and ensure that all Army Soldiers maintain a
level of physical readiness necessary to perform their duties.
5. Policy.
a. ABCP Modification. Effective immediately, all Soldiers who score 540 points or
more on the record Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), with a minimum of 80 points in
each event, are exempt from the Army body fat circumference-based tape assessment.
This policy applies to Soldiers who complete all six primary events of the ACFT; no
alternate events are authorized. The exemption is not retroactive.
(1) Pursuant to reference 1a, all Soldiers will still undergo height and weight
screening. If Soldiers meet the exemption requirements prescribed in paragraph 5a of
this directive, no body fat circumference-based tape assessment is required, and the
Soldier will not be subject to flagging actions.
(2) Soldiers enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program who achieve the
approved exemption requirements in paragraph 5a will be released from the ABCP in
accordance with AR 600–9, paragraph 3–13, and their flag will be lifted pursuant to
reference 1c. If the exempted Soldier subsequently fails to meet the exemption
S E C R E T A R Y O F T H E A R M Y
W A S H I N G T O N
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2023-08 (Army Body Fat Assessment Exemption for Army
Combat Fitness Test Score)
2
standards, the Soldier may be subject to the provisions of AR 600–9, paragraph 3–14,
for exceeding the body fat standards.
(3) The exemption is valid until the next record ACFT, not to exceed 8 months
for Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers or 14 months for Army National
Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers. Soldiers who fail to re-validate within these timelines
are subject to record body fat assessments and flagging actions for body fat
assessment failure.
(4) The Soldier’s Department of the Army (DA) Form 705–TEST (Army Combat
Fitness Test Scorecard) will show a “GO” result for body fat and be recorded in the
Digital Training Management System (DTMS).
(5) The Soldier’s DA Forms 67–10 or 2166–9 series (Evaluation Report) will
show “YES” to mean “within standard” and include the following statement in the
comment section: “Soldier scored 540 points or more on the ACFT with minimum of
80 points in each event and, IAW AR 600–9, is exempt from Army body fat
assessment.”
b. This exemption applies to all Professional Military Education. Refer to AR 350–1
for graduation requirements.
c. This exemption applies to all accession and retention actions.
6. Proponent. The Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
has oversight responsibility for this policy and will ensure that necessary internal
controls are in place to comply with this directive. The Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 will
incorporate its provisions into AR 600–9 within 2 years of the date of this directive.
7. Duration. This directive is rescinded on publication of the revised regulation.
Encl Christine E. Wormuth
DISTRIBUTION:
Principal Officials of Headquarters, Department of the Army
Commander
U.S. Army Forces Command
(CONT)
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2023-08 (Army Body Fat Assessment Exemption for Army
Combat Fitness Test Score)
3
DISTRIBUTION: (CONT)
U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command
U.S. Army Materiel Command
U.S. Army Futures Command
U.S. Army Pacific
U.S. Army Europe and Africa
U.S. Army Central
U.S. Army North
U.S. Army South
U.S. Army Special Operations Command
Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Strategic Command
U.S. Army Cyber Command
U.S. Army Medical Command
U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers
U.S. Army Military District of Washington
U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command
U.S. Army Human Resources Command
Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy
Commandant, U.S. Army War College
Director, U.S. Army Civilian Human Resources Agency
Executive Director, Military Postal Service Agency
Director, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division
Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery
Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center
CF:
Principal Cyber Advisor
Director of Business Transformation
Commander, Eighth Army
REFERENCES
Enclosure
a. Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 1308.03 (DoD Physical Fitness/Body
Composition Program), 10 March 2022
b. Army Regulation (AR) 350–1 (Army Training and Leader Development),
10 December 2017
c. AR 600–8–2 (Suspension of Favorable Personnel Actions (Flag)), 5 April 2021
d. AR 600–9 (The Army Body Composition Program), 16 July 2019
e. Army Techniques Publication 7-22.01 (Holistic Health and Fitness Testing),
October 2020, incorporating Change 2, effective 1 August 2022
f. ACFT scoring scales, available at: https://www.army.mil/e2/downloads/rv7/
acft/ACFT_scoring_scales_220323.pdf, 23 March 2022