U.S. Army
AR 600-9 — Army Body Composition Program · Verified 2026-08-19
How the screen works
The Army uses a one-site abdominal circumference tape test at the navel (adopted 2023) scored against an age/sex body-fat table. In 2026 the Army is transitioning toward the DoD WHtR < 0.55 screen (Army Directive 2026-13); confirm the current implementation with your command. Soldiers who score 540+ on the ACFT (minimum 80 points per event) are exempt from the circumference assessment.
| Initial screen | Threshold | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) | must be < 0.55 | Below passes with no tape test; at or above → secondary body-fat evaluation |
Maximum allowable body-fat % (age / sex)
| Age group | Men (max %) | Women (max %) |
|---|---|---|
| 17–20 | 20% | 30% |
| 21–27 | 22% | 32% |
| 28–39 | 24% | 34% |
| 40+ | 26% | 36% |
Fill in your own measurements — the worksheet prints with the official thresholds above.
Your worksheet (Army)
| Your metric | Value | Army gate | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waist-to-Height Ratio | 0.486 | < 0.55 | PASS |
| Est. body-fat % (Navy method) | 17.5% | ≤ 22% | PASS |
Source & verification
- Primary: AR 600-9, Table B-2 (Army.mil ABCP)
- Retrieved and verified: 2026-08-19. Standards change — confirm with the official regulation or your command.
Reading this Army scorecard
The sheet above is designed to be printed and carried, so it holds only what you need at the assessment: the screen, the thresholds, and the table you are measured against. This section adds the context that does not belong on a one-page printout.
The body-fat table is age-normed, which means the ceiling printed on your sheet is not the ceiling your colleague is measured against. Across the 4 bands here the men's limit runs from 20% to 26% and the women's from 30% to 36%. Knowing where your own band sits stops you from comparing your result against a number that was never meant to apply to you.
The screen on the sheet is a ratio rather than a weight, so a scale is not the tool you need for it. Bring a tape and know your height in the same unit. The gate of 0.55 translates to a waist below 38.5 inches at 70 inches tall, so measuring at home beforehand tells you whether a tape test is likely rather than leaving it to the day.
Source and verification: AR 600-9, Table B-2 (Army.mil ABCP), retrieved 2026-08-19. Standards change — treat this as a planning aid and confirm the implementation your unit or agency actually applies.