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1 [1] (August 15, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/goveiaz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congress&onaI Resedrch Ser/ce informing he~ eilive dIate sin 19.14 August 15, 2022 Defense Primer: Military Physical Fitness Testing and Body Composition Program Under Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, Congress has broad authority over the Armed Forces and, as such, has a duty to maintain physically capable forces to conduct a range of military operations. Various statutes authorize the Department of Defense (DOD) to determine physical fitness and body composition standards for servicemembers and individuals entering military service. The services also use physical fitness and body composition standards when considering certain career assignments and advancement. These standards are intended to support good health, physical readiness, and professional military appearance. The military is concerned with excess body fat due to its relationship with obesity and comorbid medical conditions such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Excess weight can cause joint pain and reduce cardiovascular capability, and can be detrimental to people and equipment in space-limited situations (e.g., military aircraft and vehicles). A higher risk of comorbid conditions for servicemembers and veterans also has longer-term health care cost implications. The standards have become a subject of debate in Congress and among other observers and military leaders. Some have expressed concern that current standards are outdated, unscientific, or unsuited to current military job requirements, and may not predict performance in combat conditions. They have also argued that there is potential for gender-bias in existing standards, or have concerns that these standards may incentivize harmful behaviors (e.g., eating disorders). Some military leaders have highlighted recruiting challenges, in part related to ineligibility of some civilian youth under existing height and weight standards. Proponents of the standards argue that reducing or waiving standards could weaken the military's combat capabilities. Background and Authorities Title 10, Section 113 of the U.S. Code delegates authority, direction, and control of the DOD to the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF). In addition, 10 U.S.C. §§505 and 532 provide for the enlistment or appointment of able-bodied and physically qualified recruits. Under these authorities, the SECDEF has established policies on minimum physical fitness and body composition standards. The services then set their own standards based on these parameters. DOD Instruction 1308.03, DOD Physical Fitness/Body Composition Program, establishes allowable body mass index (BMI) and body fat (BF) percentages for servicemembers by gender. The policy requires each service to develop science-based physical fitness tests that measure individual cardiorespiratory endurance (typically a timed run) and muscular strength and endurance (e.g., sit- ups, pull-ups/push-ups) for all service occupations. DOD policy also states that these standards may be adjusted for age and gender, or gender-nonmed (see Table 1 for sample comparison). The services generally administer physical fitness testing and measure body composition on at least an annual basis, with some waivers for health or pregnancy-related conditions. Servicemembers who fail to meet the physical fitness and body composition standards may be placed in remedial programs, denied reenlistment, or subject to separation from the military. Table I. Comparison of Upper Body Strength Fitness Standards, by Service and Gender Number needed to attain the minimum and maximum scores forages 17-21 Air Marine Army Force Navy Corps Event Hand- Hand- Push-ups Pull-ups release release push-ups push-ups Male min: 10 min: 15 min: 46 min: 9 max: 57 max: 40 max: 92 max: 20 Female min: 10 min: 6 min: 20 min: I max: 53 max: 31 max: 5I max: 7 Source: 2022 fitness tests of record for each service. Note: The Space Force has an alternate fitness assessment protocol. Gender-Normed vs. Gender-NeutraI Standards Separate from the gender-normed fitness standards, DOD policy requires gender-neutral occupational-specific standards for physically demanding career fields in accordance with statutory requirements (10 U.S.C §113 note). Congress first required these gender-neutral standards as part of the FY1994 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA, P.L. 103-160§543). Congress amended the law in the FY2014 and FY2015 NDAAs (P.L. 113-291 §524 and P.L. 114-92 §525) to require that gender- neutral occupational standards (1) accurately predict performance of actual, regular, and recurring duties of a military occupation; (2) are applied equitably to measure individual capabilities; and (3) measure the combat readiness of combat units, including special operations forces. In general, while gender-neutral standards measure an individual's ability to successfully complete an occupational-specific task (e.g., infantry maneuver under fire), fitness standards assess overall health and fitness for general duty conditions. Several studies have found that, on average, men have greater muscle mass, cardiovascular capacity, and load- bearing capabilities than women. The services account for these physiological differences through gender-normed 0

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