Results for army

Are beards authorized in the Army?

No. Soldiers keep their faces clean shaven when in uniform or in civilian clothes on duty. The exceptions are an approved religious accommodation and a shaving profile issued by a medical provider. Shaving profile policy has been tightened by Army directive since the 2021 edition of AR 670-1, so check the current directive and the Soldier's profile before you correct anyone.

How is the Army Fitness Test scored, and what is a passing score?

Each event is scored from 0 to 100 points, so the maximum total is 500. A Soldier must earn at least 60 points in every event to pass. Failing a single event fails the test regardless of the total.

List the enlisted grades and ranks from private through sergeant major of the Army.

Private E-1, private E-2, private first class E-3, specialist and corporal E-4, sergeant E-5, staff sergeant E-6, sergeant first class E-7, master sergeant and first sergeant E-8, and sergeant major, command sergeant major, and sergeant major of the Army at E-9.

List the order of precedence of U.S. military decorations from the Medal of Honor down through the Army Achievement Medal.

Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldier's Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal.

Name the Army unit awards in order of precedence.

Presidential Unit Citation, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and Army Superior Unit Award.

Name the five events of the Army Fitness Test in order.

Three repetition maximum deadlift, hand release push up with arm extension, sprint drag carry, plank, and two mile run.

Walk me through the screening process under the Army Body Composition Program.

The Soldier is weighed and measured for height and compared against the screening table weight for their height, age, and sex. A Soldier at or under the screening weight passes and no further assessment is required. A Soldier over the screening weight receives a body fat assessment. If the body fat result exceeds the standard for their age and sex, the Soldier is enrolled in the program and flagged.

What are the Army Values?

Loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. The acronym is LDRSHIP.

What are the characteristics of the Army Profession?

Trust, honorable service, military expertise, stewardship, and esprit de corps.

What are the criteria for the Army Good Conduct Medal?

It is awarded to enlisted Soldiers for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity over a qualifying period of continuous honorable active federal service. The standard qualifying period is three years. Shorter periods are recognized in specific cases the regulation lists, such as separation before three years under qualifying conditions or service during a designated period of war.

What are the five types of responsibility for Army property?

Command responsibility, supervisory responsibility, direct responsibility, custodial responsibility, and personal responsibility. Command responsibility belongs to the commander and cannot be delegated. Direct responsibility belongs to the person who signed for and has physical possession. Personal responsibility belongs to whoever has the item in hand at the moment.

What are the three attributes of an Army leader?

Character, presence, and intellect.

What are the three principal Army uniforms a Soldier will encounter, and what is each used for?

The Army Combat Uniform in the Operational Camouflage Pattern, or OCP, is the utility and field uniform. The Army Green Service Uniform, or AGSU, is the everyday service uniform for office duty, travel, and most official business. The Army Service Uniform, or ASU, the blue uniform, is worn for dress and formal occasions.

What are the ways a Soldier can enter the Army Substance Abuse Program?

Self-referral, command referral, medical referral, and identification through drug testing or an investigation. Self-referral is the route the Army pushes hardest, because a Soldier who asks for help before there is an incident gets certain protections that a Soldier identified after the fact does not.

What happens to a Soldier enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program?

The Soldier is flagged, which suspends favorable personnel actions including promotion, schooling, and reenlistment. The Soldier is referred for nutrition counseling and a medical evaluation, weighed and assessed monthly to measure progress, and counseled in writing. Failure to make satisfactory progress, or repeated enrollment, can lead to separation.

What is Army Community Service?

The Army's installation-level family and Soldier support agency, established in 1965. Its motto is self-help, service, and stability. ACS delivers relocation readiness, financial readiness, employment readiness, family advocacy, the Exceptional Family Member Program, mobilization and deployment support, survivor outreach, and information and referral.

What is Army Emergency Relief and what does it provide?

AER is the Army's private nonprofit relief organization, founded in 1942. It provides emergency financial assistance to Soldiers and their families as an interest-free loan, a grant, or a combination of the two, and it funds scholarships for spouses and dependent children. Under the commander's referral program, a company commander or first sergeant can approve assistance quickly.

What is the Army Body Composition Program and what regulation governs it?

The Army Body Composition Program, or ABCP, is the program that ensures Soldiers maintain the military appearance and body composition the Army requires and are able to meet the physical demands of duty. AR 600-9 governs it. The regulation is dated July 2019, and the assessment method has been changed by Army directive since then, so use the current directive with the regulation.

What is the Army definition of leadership?

Leadership is the activity of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.

What is the Army physical fitness test of record, and what did it replace?

The Army Fitness Test, abbreviated AFT. It became the test of record on 1 June 2025 and replaced the Army Combat Fitness Test. The change removed the standing power throw and left five events.

What is the Army's equal opportunity policy?

Soldiers and their families are provided equal opportunity and fair treatment based on merit, fitness, and capability, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Unlawful discrimination and harassment are prohibited on and off post, on and off duty.

What is the purpose of the Army Substance Abuse Program?

To strengthen readiness by preventing alcohol and other drug abuse, identifying Soldiers who need help early, getting them into treatment, and restoring them to duty when they can perform. It is a command program, not a medical program that runs itself.

What is the second highest Army decoration for valor?

The Distinguished Service Cross. It is awarded for extraordinary heroism in action against an enemy of the United States where the action does not justify the Medal of Honor. The Navy Cross and the Air Force Cross are its equivalents in those services.

What is the tattoo policy in AR 670-1 as amended by Army directive?

Content is the hard line: tattoos that are extremist, indecent, sexist, or racist are prohibited anywhere on the body, regardless of size or location. For placement, tattoos on the head and face remain prohibited, with an exception for permanent makeup. A 2022 Army directive opened limited placements, including small tattoos on the hands, behind the ears, and on the back of the neck within size limits, and tattoos between the fingers that are not visible when the fingers are closed. Because these limits have changed by directive, verify the current directive before you counsel a Soldier.

What publication is the Army's physical readiness training doctrine, and what system does it describe?

FM 7-22, Holistic Health and Fitness. It describes the H2F system and the five readiness domains: physical, nutritional, mental, spiritual, and sleep. FM 7-22 is the training system. ATP 7-22.01 carries the testing procedures.

What regulation governs Army awards and decorations?

AR 600-8-22, Military Awards. It sets the criteria, the approval authorities, and the order of precedence. DA PAM 670-1 then shows how those awards are arranged and worn on the uniform.

What regulation governs the wear and appearance of Army uniforms and insignia, and what is its companion pamphlet?

AR 670-1, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, is the policy. DA PAM 670-1, Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, is the illustrated companion. AR 670-1 tells you what is authorized. DA PAM 670-1 shows you exactly where it goes and how far from the seam.

When was the position of Sergeant Major of the Army established, and who was the first to hold it?

The position was established in 1966. Sergeant Major of the Army William O. Wooldridge was the first, sworn in that July.

Where is the U.S. flag insignia worn on the Army Combat Uniform, and which way does it face?

The full color or subdued U.S. flag is worn on the right shoulder. It is worn in the reverse field orientation, with the star field toward the front of the wearer, so the flag appears to be streaming backward as the Soldier moves forward.

As an NCO, what is your role when a Soldier tells you they are thinking about suicide?

Take it seriously and act immediately. Ask directly, stay with the Soldier, remove access to weapons and other lethal means, and escort the Soldier to a chaplain, behavioral health, or the emergency room. Notify the chain of command. Do not leave the Soldier alone and do not promise secrecy.

How does a Soldier reach the Military Crisis Line?

Dial 988 and press 1. It is staffed around the clock and also reachable by text and online chat.

How does a Soldier show a second or subsequent award of the same decoration?

With an oak leaf cluster on the ribbon for most Army decorations. Numerals, service stars, and other devices are used on specific awards where the regulation prescribes them, such as campaign stars on service medals. The device authorized for each award is listed in AR 600-8-22.

Is composite risk management still the correct term, and what worksheet is used today?

No. The Army dropped composite risk management and returned to risk management with the publication of ATP 5-19. The deliberate risk assessment worksheet is DD Form 2977. DA Form 7566, the old composite risk management worksheet, is obsolete.

Recite the Soldier's Creed.

I am an American Soldier. I am a warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment, and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American Soldier.

What are the maximum allowable body fat percentages by age group in AR 600-9?

For males: 20 percent for ages 17 to 20, 22 percent for 21 to 27, 24 percent for 28 to 39, and 26 percent for 40 and older. For females: 30 percent for 17 to 20, 32 percent for 21 to 27, 34 percent for 28 to 39, and 36 percent for 40 and older.

What are the three levels of classification and the damage standard for each?

Top Secret, where unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security. Secret, where it could be expected to cause serious damage. Confidential, where it could be expected to cause damage.

What are the two types of equal opportunity complaints, and how is a formal one filed?

Informal and formal. An informal complaint is resolved directly, with the help of a peer, a leader, or an equal opportunity professional, and is not written up. A formal complaint is filed in writing on DA Form 7279 and sworn to, normally within 60 calendar days of the incident, and it triggers required actions and timelines.

What are the two types of sexual assault reports, and what is the difference?

Restricted and unrestricted. A restricted report is confidential. It gets the victim medical care, advocacy, legal support, and counseling without notifying the command or law enforcement, and it does not start an investigation. An unrestricted report notifies the command and law enforcement and starts an investigation, and the victim still receives the full range of care and support.

What counts as satisfactory progress once a Soldier is enrolled in the ABCP?

AR 600-9 sets progress as a loss of three to eight pounds per month, or a reduction of about one percent body fat per month. A Soldier who is losing weight at that rate is making progress even if they are still over the standard. A Soldier who is not is subject to separation processing.

What determines whether an item is expendable, durable, or nonexpendable?

The accounting requirements code assigned to the national stock number in the Army master data. Code X is expendable, code D is durable, and code N is nonexpendable. You look it up rather than judging by price or appearance.

What does ACE stand for in suicide prevention?

Ask, Care, Escort. Ask the person directly whether they are thinking about suicide. Care for them by listening without judging and by removing access to lethal means. Escort them to help and stay with them until they are in the hands of a chaplain, a behavioral health provider, or the chain of command.

What does BOSS stand for and what are its three pillars?

Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers. Its three pillars are quality of life, community service, and recreation and leisure. It was created in 1989 and gives single and unaccompanied Soldiers a voice to their leadership.

What does SHARP stand for, and what regulation governs it?

Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention. It is governed by AR 600-52, the Army's first standalone SHARP regulation, which took effect in February 2025. Before that, SHARP was covered inside AR 600-20.

What falls under the attribute of character?

The Army Values, empathy, the Warrior Ethos and Service Ethos, discipline, and humility.

What form is the fitness test recorded on?

DA Form 705, the Army Fitness Test Scorecard. It captures raw scores, event points, the total, and the grader and Soldier signatures.

What is the Blue Book and why does it matter to noncommissioned officers?

It is Baron Friedrich von Steuben's Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, published in 1779 after he drilled the Continental Army at Valley Forge. It was the Army's first standard manual and the first document to spell out the duties of noncommissioned officers.

What is the difference between a custom and a courtesy?

A custom is a practice the Army has followed so long that it carries the force of tradition. A courtesy is an act of respect and politeness Soldiers show one another and show to the nation's symbols. The salute is both.

What is the limited use policy?

It restricts how the Army may use certain protected information a Soldier provides in connection with substance abuse treatment, such as a voluntary self-referral or information developed during treatment. That information generally may not be used against the Soldier in a court-martial or as the basis for a characterization of discharge. It does not protect a Soldier from the consequences of independently discovered misconduct.

What three conditions must be met before a person may be given access to classified information?

The person must hold an eligibility determination at or above the level of the information, must have a valid need to know it to do their job, and must have signed a classified information nondisclosure agreement, the SF 312. A clearance by itself is not authority to see everything at that level.

When was the noncommissioned officer corps born?

In 1775, with the birth of the Continental Army. The Army has had noncommissioned officers from its first day.

Who can a Soldier make a restricted report to?

A Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, a SHARP victim advocate, or a healthcare provider. Telling anyone else, including the chain of command or law enforcement, generally makes the report unrestricted.

Who wrote the NCO Creed, and when?

It was drafted in 1973 by the NCO Subcommittee of the Command and Leadership Committee at the U.S. Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. Sergeant First Class Earle Brigham is credited with starting it. It was first printed in Infantry School texts in 1974.