19.1 USAF Fitness & Comprehensive Airman Fitness
Key Takeaways
- DAFMAN 36-2905, Air Force Physical Fitness Program, governs Air Force fitness and applies to the RegAF, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, and the United States Space Force.
- The Body Composition Program uses the Waist-to-Height Ratio, calculated by dividing waist circumference by height, assessed annually within the member's birth month.
- A Waist-to-Height Ratio below 0.55 meets the standard (low-moderate risk); above 0.55 does not meet the standard (high risk).
- Physical Training Leaders must maintain a fitness assessment score of 75.0 or higher; if the score drops below 75.0 or becomes noncurrent, the certification is voided.
- A Fitness Assessment Cell augmentee supervises Airmen conducting components at a ratio of no more than 12 Airmen for every one augmentee.
Why Fitness Is a Readiness Issue
Per AFI 1-1, "USAF members must be physically fit to support the USAF mission." AFH 1 states the payoff plainly: "An active lifestyle increases productivity, optimizes health, and decreases absenteeism, which helps maintain a higher level of readiness."
The goal of the Physical Fitness Program (PFP) is "to motivate all Airmen to participate in a year-round physical conditioning program that emphasizes total fitness, to include proper aerobic conditioning, muscular fitness training, and healthy eating."
Three elements of total fitness — aerobic conditioning, muscular fitness training, and healthy eating — and the program is year-round, not built around test day.
The governing publication is DAFMAN 36-2905, Air Force Physical Fitness Program, and its scope is broad: "applicable to the entire Department of the Air Force, including uniformed members of the RegAF, the Air Force Reserve, the Air National Guard, and the United States Space Force."
Roles and Responsibilities
AFH 1 lists a long chain of program roles. These are the ones an NCO is most likely to meet or hold.
| Role | Key responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Installation or Base Commander / ANG Wing Commander | Oversees the PFP; provides an environment supporting a healthy lifestyle; renders final decision on plans to appoint certified Physical Training Leaders and Unit Fitness Program Managers to augment the Fitness Assessment Cell; renders decision on 1.5 Mile Run, 2 Kilometer Walk, and 20-Meter HAMR courses after collaboration with Civil Engineering, Force Support, and Wing Safety; appoints a noncommissioned officer or senior noncommissioned officer of any AFSC to serve as the Fitness Information Manager |
| Commands and Units | Establish and enforce a unit PFP; ensure appropriate administrative action in cases of non-compliance; determine whether assessments are conducted internally with a Unit Fitness Assessment Cell or with the installation FAC; appoint individuals in writing to augment the FAC |
| Unit Fitness Program Manager (UFPM) | A unit Airman responsible to the commander for the unit PFP who serves as the liaison between the unit commander, FAC, and the Fitness Program Manager. Reviews and approves scheduling requests, validates the Fitness Screening Questionnaire and AF Form 469 status, refers members with high-risk FSQ responses to a provider, notifies the commander of Airmen failing to show for any Fitness Improvement Program appointment, and initiates and maintains PFP case files in a secured location. Provides fitness metrics and unit status report to the commander monthly |
| Fitness Assessment Cell (FAC) Manager | Oversees the operation of the installation FACs; the FAC is centralized under the Force Support Squadron and augmented by installation PTLs; conducts PFAs and inputs scores in myFitness |
| FAC Augmentee | Airmen trained to oversee and administer fitness assessments — an additional duty not associated with any AFSC. Supervises Airmen conducting components at a ratio of no more than 12 Airmen for every one FAC augmentee. Documents and signs results on a hard copy DAF Form 4446 and obtains the Airman's signature, providing a copy to the Airman |
| Physical Training Leaders (PTL) | Airmen trained to lead unit physical training exercises and administer fitness assessments |
| Airman | Maintains individual year-round physical fitness through self-directed and unit-based programs; notifies the UFPM, FAC representative, or chain of command in writing of the need to schedule the assessment; monitors exemptions and schedules medical appointments; completes the Fitness Screening Questionnaire; and notifies the UFPM upon receiving an AF Form 469 with fitness restrictions |
Two Numeric Rules to Memorize
PTL fitness standard: "Will maintain a fitness assessment score of 75.0 or higher. If, at any time, a PTL's fitness assessment score drops below 75.0 or becomes noncurrent, the certification will be voided." To reinstate, the member must achieve a passing score and re-accomplish necessary training.
PTL certification requires three things: hands-on Basic Life Support training (or equivalent), CPR/AED training, and fitness assessment procedures training. An Airman cannot administer fitness assessments or lead unit fitness training until all training requirements are completed.
FAC augmentee supervision ratio: no more than 12 Airmen for every one augmentee.
On the scorecard: "Use of the DAF Form 4446 is mandatory. Locally-produced scorecards cannot be used."
The Body Composition Program
Effective January 2023, in accordance with DoDI 1308.03, the Air Force implemented a Body Composition Program (BCP) replacing the abdominal circumference measurement removed from the Physical Fitness Assessment in December 2020.
The mechanics:
- The BCP requires an annual Body Composition Assessment (BCA) within the member's birth month
- It uses the Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR), calculated by dividing waist circumference by height
- Implementation started 1 April 2023 with a one-year adaptation period, extended on 8 April 2024 and remaining in effect until 180 days after publication of AFMAN 36-2912, Air Force Body Composition Program
- During the adaptation period, administrative actions based solely on BCA results are not authorized
The Standard
| Result | Meaning |
|---|---|
| WHtR < 0.55 | Meeting Standard (Low-Moderate Risk) |
| WHtR > 0.55 | Not Meeting Standard (High Risk) |
0.55 is the number to memorize, along with the fact that the ratio is waist circumference divided by height — not height divided by waist.
The initial recorded BCA is considered a "baseline assessment."
Roles Under the BCP
"The BCP is a unit commander driven program."
| Role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Commanders | Execute, enforce, and ensure administration of the BCA across the unit; identify male and female Body Composition Managers — units must have at least one of each sex, with no grade requirement; purchase required equipment (a non-stretch tape measure in inches) |
| Body Composition Managers (BCM) | Attend mandatory training before executing duties; administer BCAs within the unit and only assess members of the same sex, using the member's sex reflected in the Military Personnel Data System; input WHtR results into myBodyComp; inform the unit commander of Airmen who do not meet program requirements |
| Airmen | Assess annually within their birth month or 12 months; may opt to accomplish the BCA one calendar month before their birth month to allow flexibility; BCAs will not be taken when a member has a deployment, commander, or ARC non-participating exemption, and members must accomplish a BCA within two months after the exemption expires |
All members will have a BCA taken when on a medical restriction unless an AF Form 469 indicates a BCA exemption.
The Improvement Program Ladder
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| First identified with WHtR > 0.55 | Enroll in a 12-month required informal self-directed Body Composition Improvement Program (BCIP). The Airman must schedule a medical evaluation and assessment for risk factors, review the Health and Readiness Optimization (HeRO) Body Composition Guide, and develop a body composition improvement action plan submitted to the BCM and unit commander. Enrollment in the informal self-directed BCIP is not considered a failure to meet the standard, and commanders will not take administrative actions during it |
| Still not meeting standard after the informal program | Enroll in a formal self-directed BCIP. Enrollment in the formal self-directed BCIP is considered the first failure to meet the BCP standard. Reassessments occur during the next birth month or 12 months from the last BCA |
| Repeated failures | When no medical condition exists that would preclude meeting the standard, commanders will consider administrative actions to include separation |
The informal/formal distinction is the most testable point in the BCP passage: informal enrollment is not a failure; formal enrollment is the first failure. An Airman must also re-enroll in the formal BCIP if identified as failing after having subsequently met the standard.
The form used is the DAF Form 108, Department of the Air Force Fitness Education and Intervention Processing, until publication of the new DAF Form 113, Department of the Air Force Body Composition Assessment Scorecard and Intervention Worksheet.
How is the Waist-to-Height Ratio calculated, and what value separates meeting from not meeting the Body Composition Program standard?
What fitness assessment score must a Physical Training Leader maintain, and what happens if it is not maintained?
An Airman is first identified with a Waist-to-Height Ratio above 0.55. What does AFH 1 say about that enrollment?