https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN44956-ARMY_DIR_2025-17-000-WEB-1.pdf
MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2025-17 (Army Body Fat Standard for Army Fitness Test Score)
1. References. See references enclosed.
2. Purpose. This directive implements 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 meeting Army body fat
standards for high levels of physical fitness.
3. Applicability. The provisions of this directive apply to the Regular Army (RA), Army
National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States (ARNG/ARNGUS), and U.S. Army
Reserve (USAR).
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 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 and limit musculoskeletal injuries.
5. Policy.
a. Army Body Fat Standard Modification. Effective immediately, all Soldiers who score
465 points or more on the record general standard or combat standard Army Fitness Test (AFT),
with a minimum of 80 points in each event, are deemed in compliance with the Army body fat
standard and will not be subject to flagging actions. This policy applies to Soldiers who
complete all five primary events of the AFT; no alternate events are authorized. This body fat
standard modification is not retroactive.
(1) Pursuant to reference 1a, all Soldiers will still conduct height and weight screening.
Soldiers who meet the requirements prescribed in paragraph 5a of this directive do not require
the one-site circumference-based tape assessment.
(2) Soldiers who do not meet the height and weight screening, but who meet the Army
body fat standard stated in paragraph 5a of this directive, will still have their height and weight
data recorded on a Department of the Army (DA) Form 5500 or DA Form 5501. The preparer
will initial on the form next to the statement “Soldier scored a 465 or more on the AFT and is in
compliance with the Army body fat standard IAW AD 2025-17 and AR 600–9.”
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 2025-17 (Army Body Fat Standard for Army Fitness Test Score)
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(3) Soldiers enrolled in the ABCP who achieve the requirements in paragraph 5a of this
directive will be released from the ABCP in accordance with Army Regulation (AR) 600–9,
paragraph 3–13, and their flag will be lifted pursuant to reference 1f. Soldiers who subsequently
fail to meet the standard described in paragraph 5a of this directive will be subject to the
provisions of AR 600–9, paragraph 3–14, for exceeding the body fat standards.
(4) The Army body fat standard described in paragraph 5a of this directive is valid until
the next record AFT, not to exceed 8 months for RA and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers or
12 months for ARNG/ARNGUS and USAR Soldiers. Soldiers who fail to revalidate within
these timelines are subject to record body fat assessments and flagging actions for body fat
assessment failure.
(5) The Soldier’s DA Form 705–TEST (Army Fitness Test Scorecard) will show a
“GO” result for body fat and be recorded in the Digital Training Management System (DTMS).
(6) The Soldier’s DA Form 67–10, DA Form 2166–9, or DA 1059 series (Evaluation
Report) will show “YES” to represent “compliance with AR 600–9 standards” and include the
following statement in the comment section: “Soldier is in compliance with the Army body fat
standard IAW AD 2025-17 and AR 600–9.”
(7) To ensure the Army body fat assessment does not interfere with Soldier performance
on the AFT, commanders and supervisors will allow a minimum of 7 days between the AFT and
weigh-in. Commanders may deviate from this standard to meet urgent operational needs.
b. This directive applies to all Professional Military Education. For graduation
requirements, refer to AR 350–1.
c. This directive 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 the
provisions of this policy into AR 600–9 within 2 years of the date of this directive.
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2025-17 (Army Body Fat Standard for Army Fitness Test Score)
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7. Duration. This directive is rescinded on publication of the revised regulation.
Encl Dan Driscoll
DISTRIBUTION:
Commander
U.S. Army Forces Command
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 Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army Military District of Washington
U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command
U.S. Army Human Resources Command
U.S. Army Corrections Command
U.S. Army Recruiting 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
Director, U.S. Army Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office
Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery
Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center
CF:
Principal Cyber Advisor
Commander, Eighth Army
REFERENCES
Enclosure
a. Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 1308.03 (DoD Physical Fitness/Body Composition
Program), 10 March 2022, incorporating Change 1, effective 25 June 2025
b. Army Directive (AD) 2025-06 (Army Fitness Test), 17 April 2025
c. AD 2023-11 (Army Body Fat Assessment for the Army Body Composition Program),
9 June 2023
d. AD 2023-08 (Army Body Fat Assessment Exemption for Army Combat Fitness Test Score),
15 March 2023 (rescinded effective 31 May 2026)
e. Army Regulation (AR) 350–1 (Army Training and Leader Development), 1 June 2025
f. AR 600–8–2 (Suspension of Favorable Personnel Actions (Flag)), 5 April 2021
g. AR 600–9 (The Army Body Composition Program), 16 July 2019
h. Army Techniques Publication 7-22.01 (Holistic Health and Fitness Testing), October 2020,
incorporating Change 2, effective 1 August 2022