Source: U.S. Army Publishing Directorate (APD)
SECRETARY OF THE ARMY
WASHINGTON
23 JUN 2026
MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2026-12 (Support to Military Health System Stabilization)
1. References.
a. Deputy Secretary of Defense memorandum (Stabilization and Improvement of the Military Health System), 6 December 2023
b. Directive-Type Memorandum 24-003 (Military Health System Manpower Requirements Determination, Resourcing, and Assignment), 28 June 2024, incorporating Change 1, effective 20 May 2025
c. Assistant Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs memorandum (Military Health System Staffing Transparency and Resourcing Impact Business Rules), 1 July 2024
d. Assistant Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs (Military Health System Notification Business Rules), 1 July 2024
e. Assistant Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs memorandum (Military Health System Human Capital Distribution Plan Business Rules), 1 July 2024
f. Army Regulation (AR) 40–1 (Composition, Mission, and Functions of the Army Medical Department), 24 May 2019
2. Purpose.
This directive assigns roles and responsibilities for supporting Military Health System (MHS) stabilization and improvement plans.
3. Applicability.
This directive applies to the Regular Army, Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and U.S. Army Reserve.
4. Policy.
a.
Army uniformed medical personnel (all ranks) who perform work in a medical treatment facility (MTF) or dental treatment facility (DTF) will enter all work hours into the Department of War (DoW) manpower system of record (currently the Defense Medical Human Resource System Internet (DMHRSi)). This includes uniformed medical personnel assigned or attached to an MTF/DTF, assigned to an operational unit with duty at an MTF/DTF (that is, personnel assigned to a modified table of organization of equipment organization with duty at an MTF/DTF commonly referred to as “MTOE assigned personnel,” or MAP), students training at an MTF/DTF (such as Phase II Clinical Training for enlisted Soldiers) and borrowed military manpower (BMM). BMM is defined as uniformed personnel assigned to a non-MTF/DTF unit, whose primary duty is not at an MTF/DTF but whose work may intermittently be performed in an MTF/DTF for training, skill sustainment, or readiness sustainment.
b.
Army officers commanding MTFs or DTFs will—
(1) Enroll all uniformed medical personnel (all ranks) who perform work at an MTF/DTF into the manpower system of record (currently the DMHRSi).
(2) Ensure all uniformed medical personnel (all ranks) accurately record all work hours within the manpower system of record in accordance with MTF/DTF policies. This includes work hours spent inside and outside of an MTF/DTF.
(3) Review compliance routinely to maximize uniformed medical personnel availability as prescribed in the Manpower Availability Factors in reference 1c, appendix A, and summarized in the following table:
| Personnel Type | Annual Hours To Be Worked Within an MTF/DTF |
|---|---|
| Officers assigned/attached to an MTF/DTF | 1,540 |
| Enlisted Soldiers assigned or attached to an MTF/DTF | 1,350 |
| MAP officers | 1,355 |
| MAP enlisted Soldiers | 1,188 |
| BMM officers | per assigned unit guidance |
| BMM enlisted Soldiers | per assigned unit guidance |
(4) When possible, reduce non-clinical taskings for uniformed medical personnel to maximize their availability at medical and dental treatment facilities.
(5) Notify the commander of the appropriate medical readiness command of changes to the availability of MTF/DTF personnel assigned or attached, or MAP personnel, to perform healthcare within MTFs/DTFs in accordance with reference 1d and summarized in the following table:
| Type of Deployment, Training, or Absence | Notification Timeline |
|---|---|
| Operational/individual training, 1 week or longer | Not later than 90 days prior to report date |
| Rotational deployments | Not later than 180 days prior to ready to load date (personnel) |
| Short notice/no notice, contingency operations, or deployment orders | Not later than within 2 days of notification of new requirement |
| Rotational prepare to deploy order | Not later than 90 days prior to prepare to deploy order assumption date |
| Prepare to deploy order activation | Not later than within 2 days of activation |
(6) Ensure personnel are out-processed from the manpower system of record (currently the DMHRSi) promptly when any subsequent patient care encounters or work at an MTF/DTF is unlikely. For example, when uniformed medical personnel stop work at an MTF/DTF due to a permanent change of station (PCS) or retirement, they should be out-processed from the manpower system of record.
c.
Commanders of MAP personnel will support expected availability of their personnel to work within MTFs/DTFs and meet notification rules when availability changes pursuant to references 1c, 1d, and this directive.
d.
All other commanders of assigned uniformed medical personnel who do not work in an MTF/DTF as their primary place of duty will, as mission allows, encourage and enable uniformed medical personnel to work within an MTF/DTF as BMM (as defined in paragraph 4a of this directive) to the extent required to develop and sustain medical skills in support of their readiness not otherwise supported in their unit of assignment.
5. Responsibilities.
Army officers commanding MTFs or DTFs will develop and enforce an onboarding process that includes enrolling all uniformed medical personnel (all ranks) who perform work at an MTF/DTF into the manpower system of record (currently the DMHRSi). Aside from emergency situations, enrollment must be completed before patient care or other work within the MTF/DTF is scheduled.
6. Proponent.
The Surgeon General is the proponent for this policy and will ensure that the requirements of this directive are incorporated into AR 40–1 within 2 years of the date of this directive.
7. Duration.
This directive is rescinded on publication of the revised regulation.
Dan Driscoll
DISTRIBUTION:
Principal Officials of Headquarters, Department of the Army
Commander
- U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command
- U.S. Army Forces Command
- U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command
- U.S. Army Materiel Command
- U.S. Army Pacific
- U.S. Army Europe and Africa
- U.S. Army Central
- U.S. Army North
- U.S. Army Special Operations Command
- U.S. Army Transportation 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 Audit Agency
- 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 Reserve Command
Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy
Director, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division
Director, U.S. Army Civilian Human Resources Agency
Executive Director, Military Postal Service Agency
Director, U.S. Army Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office
Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery
Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center
CF:
Commander, Eighth Army