AR · Independent reference
AR 40-501 — STANDARDS OF MEDICAL FITNESS
AR 40-501: entry medical fitness standards, retention and separation standards, duty-related medical fitness. Explore the scope overview and open the official Army source.
Official Army source
GreenBook provides independent scope overviews and catalog metadata. The official source controls the text, applicability, changes, and status; check associated directives before applying policy.
What this publication covers
AR 40-501 is titled Standards of Medical Fitness. It organizes medical fitness standards for subjects such as entry, retention, separation, and particular duties. Soldiers sometimes find it while searching for profiles, but medical fitness standards and the administration of a physical profile are related subjects with separate references.
The contents distinguish physical standards for enlistment, appointment, and induction from retention and separation standards. That distinction matters because the same medical history can arise in different administrative settings. This page identifies the reference and its scope without interpreting a diagnosis or predicting a fitness determination. For physical profiling and readiness administration, also open AR 40-502. A clinician and the responsible medical process are needed for an individual case; a public summary cannot establish limitations or clear somebody for a duty. GreenBook keeps the two publications connected so research begins with the right question.
- Entry medical fitness standards
- Retention and separation standards
- Duty-related medical fitness
- Review authorities
Who commonly uses it
Soldiers researching medical fitness references, leaders locating policy, and personnel supporting medical administration.
Where to start in the official publication
These headings were checked against the linked edition's contents. Open the PDF and use its contents or find function; page numbering can differ by viewer.
- Chapter 2: Physical Standards for Enlistment, Appointment, and Induction
- Chapter 3: Medical Fitness Standards for Retention and Separation
Common questions
What is AR 40-501 used for?
It provides medical fitness standards. Identify the applicable entry, retention, separation, or duty context before consulting the official text.
Is AR 40-501 the only reference for profiles?
No. AR 40-502 covers medical readiness and physical profiling. An individual medical determination requires the appropriate clinician and process.
Publication details and freshness
- Publication number
- AR 40-501
- Publication type
- AR
- Issuing authority / proponent
- Department of the Army · TSG
- APD source status
- ACTIVE
- Publication date
- 2019-06-27
- Revision date listed by APD
- 2025-09-29
- Last source verification
- 2026-10-09
- Distribution
- A APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION IS UNLIMITED
APD change entries: 004 - 09/29/2025 003 - 05/20/2025 002 - 03/17/2023 001 - 12/13/2022
Earlier editions replaced by this publication: REVISED AR 40-501, 06/14/2017; SUPERSEDED ARMY DIR 2012-23, 09/18/2012; SUPERSEDED ARMY DIR 2013-12, 06/17/2013. This is edition history, not a claim that the displayed publication is superseded.
APD status and distribution evidence ↗Last verification records a manual source check. GreenBook does not automatically guarantee that no later guidance has been issued.
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