DOWNLOAD IMAGE Soldiers stand in formation during a departure ceremony. Photo by U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Charles Johnson.

Army Directive 2025-18 updates grooming and appearance standards to provide greater flexibility while maintaining professional military discipline. The primary areas impacted by these policy changes include:

Female Hairstyles:
Female Soldiers are authorized to wear a single ponytail or braid in utility and physical fitness uniforms, provided it remains within authorized length limits. Blended fades are also permitted, as long as the transition between the short sides and the longer top is smooth without any sharp undercuts.

Female Cosmetics and Accessories:
Clear or skin-tone lip gloss, clear nail polish, small, plain stud earrings, and clear lip moisturizers are authorized in utility and service uniforms. Lipstick and eyelash extensions are prohibited.

Male Grooming Standards:
Haircuts must be a blended taper or fade with restricted bulk on top. Locs, braids, twists, and cosmetics are prohibited. All Soldiers are permitted to use clear lip moisturizers.

Fingernail Standards:
Male Soldiers must keep nails trimmed to the edge of the fingertip with no polish authorized. Female Soldiers may have slightly longer nails and are authorized to wear clear polish.

Uniform and Insignia Wear:
The directive provides updated guidance for properly setting up the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU), including instructions for tropical dress variations and other optional items.

Body Fat Assessments:
Commanders will direct a body fat assessment for Soldiers who they determine don't present a Soldierly appearance to ensure they meet the screening table weight for their height.

Medical Evaluations:
Upon a Soldier's enrollment in the ABCP, commanders will request a medical examination to verify that there is no underlying medical condition that may be the direct cause of weight gain or the direct cause of the inability to lose weight or body fat.

Six-Month Timeline:
In the absence of an underlying medical diagnosis, if a Soldier continues to exceed standards after six months, commanders will initiate separation for Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve personnel. Army National Guard, Army National Guard of the United States, and U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers will be involuntarily transferred to the Individual Ready Reserve if they exceed standards after six months.

Administrative Flags:
Flag Code K for ABCP noncompliance is no longer transferable, preventing Soldiers from executing a PCS or transferring units while flagged.

DOWNLOAD IMAGE A U.S. Army Soldier of 173rd Airborne Brigade shaves his face while conducting personal hygiene during exercise Saber Junction 16 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Seth Plagenza.

Army Directive 2025-13 updates facial hair standards and prohibits permanent shaving profiles to refine the verification process and support Army readiness. The primary areas impacted by these policy changes include:

Facial Hair Standards:
Male Soldiers must remain clean-shaven while in uniform or on duty. Authorized mustaches are permitted. Beards are prohibited without an approved medical Exception to Policy (ETP) or religious accommodation.

Medical Exceptions to Policy:
Permanent shaving profiles are no longer authorized. The directive implements a temporary ETP system tied to specific medical treatment plans, and accumulating excessive ETPs may lead to administrative separation.

Compliance and Verification:
Soldiers with an approved ETP or religious accommodation must carry their signed memorandum and present it to leadership upon request. Leaders at all levels are responsible for ensuring these standards are understood and enforced.

DOWNLOAD IMAGE U.S. Army Maj. Wes Strickland, assigned to 1st Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) perform the 50-meter water cans carry during the new Combat Field Test at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Aaron Troutman.

Army Directive 2026-07 introduces the Combat Field Test (CFT) as a new physical fitness requirement designed to assess the combat readiness of Soldiers in 24 physically demanding specialties. This test complements the current Army Fitness Test (AFT) to ensure Soldiers can meet the functional demands of a field environment. The primary areas impacted by this policy include:

Combat Field Test (CFT) Components:
The CFT is a mandatory, pass/fail assessment consisting of seven exercises performed in a continuous, timed sequence for Soldiers serving in combat specialties. Soldiers must complete the entire sequence in 30 minutes or less. The events performed in sequence are: 1-mile run, 30 dead-stop pushups, 100-meter sprint, 16 forty-pound sandbag lifts onto a 65-inch platform, 50-meter carry of two 5-gallon water cans, 50-meter movement drill, and a second 1-mile run.

Uniform and Equipment Standards:
During the assessment, Soldiers are required to wear the Army Combat Uniform, combat boots, a brown T-shirt, and no headgear. These events are specifically designed to simulate combat tasks while wearing standard field gear to measure functional capacity under realistic physical stress.

Testing and Passing Standards:
Soldiers serving in designated combat specialties must pass the CFT to remain eligible for their current roles. Regular Army, Active Guard Reserve (AGR), and Reserve Component Soldiers on active-duty orders for 365 days or more will take one CFT and one AFT record test annually. Reserve Component Soldiers not on active-duty orders for 365 days or more will alternate between the two tests each year.

Administrative Actions for Failure:
Soldiers who fail to meet the passing standard will be flagged, enrolled in a mandatory remedial training program, and required to retest within 90 days. There is a one-year transition period ending on April 17, 2027, during which no administrative actions will be taken solely for failing. Repeated failures following this grace period may lead to reclassification into a non-combat specialty or administrative separation.

Medical Profiles and Eligibility:
Soldiers with permanent medical profiles that prevent participation in the required events are ineligible for the CFT and will undergo evaluation for potential reclassification. The directive provides specific guidance for those on temporary profiles, including pregnancy and postpartum recovery, to ensure compliance with existing health and fitness policies.

DOWNLOAD IMAGE A Soldier prepares a plate of food at 42 Bistro, a dining facility at Fort Hood, Texas that is part of the campus-style dining venue pilot program. U.S. Army photo by Rebecca Teutsch.

The U.S. Army is fundamentally transforming how Soldiers fuel for the mission. Through the Army Food Program Strategy (AFPS), the Army is rolling out innovative food initiatives that prioritize flexibility, convenience and nutrition to meet Soldiers where they are, enhancing both quality of life and overall force readiness. Modernization efforts include:

Campus-Style Dining Venues (CSDV):
Pilot facilities, such as 42 Bistro at Fort Hood and The Stack House Bistro at Fort Carson, replace traditional dining with a modern food-court model featuring multiple food stations, extended hours, and social amenities like Wi-Fi. The CSDVs convert a Soldier’s daily meal entitlement under the Essential Station Messing (ESM) program into a flexible $39 value per day (for 3 meals), allowing Soldiers to eat when and where they want using their Common Access Card (CAC).

Victory Fresh:
Focused on training installations, Victory Fresh facilities help Soldiers fuel their bodies in a healthy way within the time constraints of an on-the-go operational tempo. Victory Fresh offers grab-and-go wraps and salads, as well as build-your-own power bowls, available to Soldiers, civilians and their guests, provided by a staff that is personally trained by Chef Robert Irvine and his team of chefs.

Distributed Dining:
The Army has expanded 24/7 food access near training areas and motor pools via the deployment of 25 mobile food trucks across 15 installations, 25 self-service kiosks across 14 installations, and meal-prep programs across 17 installations.

The Army Food Program will continuously modernize to best meet Soldiers where they are. Campus-Style Dining Venues at additional installations are planned to open throughout FY26 and FY27, and other initiatives will roll out based on Soldier feedback and lessons learned from the ongoing pilots.

DOWNLOAD IMAGE Army Sgt. Alexander Glinn, assigned to 25th Infantry Division reenlists along the Pupukea summit over the island of Oahu, Hawaii. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Sarah Sangster.

The Army has launched the Quality Tiered Incentive (QTI) Program, a retention initiative designed to reward high-performing Soldiers with performance-based monetary incentives. This program modernizes the reenlistment process by directly linking a Saberoldier’s on-the-job performance to the value of their reenlistment bonus. The primary areas impacted by this policy include:

Performance-Based Tiers:
Beginning April 1, 2026, commanders will annually evaluate and stratify all Regular Army enlisted Soldiers entering their reenlistment window. This evaluation includes those who are currently flagged or ineligible in the event they become eligible in the future. Soldiers are evaluated within their specific cohort, defined as their rank and military occupational specialty, and placed into one of four quality tiers. This assessment utilizes a Quality Tier Score Card to evaluate the whole Soldier.

Evaluation categories include:

• Physical fitness based on documented scores.
• Technical expertise through certified training and badges.
• A performance review of leadership potential, including degrees and certifications.

Incentive Structure:
A Soldier’s tier placement directly determines the amount of their Selective Reenlistment Bonus. A quality tier does not guarantee a bonus. Soldiers are only eligible if they are authorized an SRB in the current MILPER message. The program uses an inverse relationship where the highest quality tier equals the highest payment step:

• Tier 1 (Step 4 Payment): is reserved for the highest-performing Soldiers who significantly exceed standards. Commanders are limited to placing no more than 50 percent of a cohort into this top tier. If a Soldier is the sole member of their cohort, the 50 percent rule does not apply, and the commander assigns the tier based solely on individual merit.
• Tier 2 (Step 3 Payment): is for high-performing Soldiers who consistently meet or exceed standards.
• Tier 3 (Step 2 Payment): is for fully qualified Soldiers who reliably meet Army standards.
• Tier 4 (Step 1 Payment): is for Soldiers who meet the minimum standards for continued service but fall into the lowest performance bracket.

Commander’s Role and Assessment:
The QTI program empowers company commanders to evaluate their Soldiers’ performance using the standardized calculation tool. Commanders have the discretion to adjust a Soldier’s tier based on their professional judgment, but widespread adjustments require exceptionally strong justifications. All assessments are ultimately validated by the battalion commander to ensure equity across the formation.

Appeals Process: If a Soldier disagrees with their tier placement, they have seven calendar days to submit an appeal via a memorandum for record for errors only. This appeal is routed through the battalion for a final determination by the brigade commander. Even if an appeal is denied, the Soldier must sign the score card to remain eligible for any monetary incentives.

Role of the Career Counselor:
Career counselors serve as key facilitators in the QTI process. They provide eligibility rosters, transcribe scores to create cohort order of merit lists and present these to the command teams for validation. Counselors are also responsible for ensuring that the reenlistment contract reflects the Soldier’s validated tier at the exact time of reenlistment, as tiers can change during quarterly or annual reviews.

Data and Systems of Record:
All tier assessments must be based on qualifications and performance metrics found in official Army systems of record, such as the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army and the Army Training Information System. Soldiers must ensure their digital personnel files are accurate and up-to-date prior to evaluation.

Source Document

DOWNLOAD IMAGE Sgt. Kanika Warren, a supply sergeant for the 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment assists fellow Soldiers with paperwork and answers questions at the Fort Bliss Central Issue Facility. U.S. Army photo by Hayley Smith.

The U.S. Army is modernizing how Soldiers manage their individual equipment with the Soldier Equipping and Asset Management (SEAM) program. This digital platform replaces the outdated Installation Support Module-Central Issue Facility (ISM-CIF) system, providing a streamlined, transparent, and Soldier-centric tool to enhance readiness and accountability. The primary areas impacted by this new system include:

SEAM Online Portal:
SEAM provides a centralized, CAC-enabled website (seam.army.mil) that serves as a one-stop solution for all Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) needs. Soldiers can access the portal from any authorized government device to manage their gear, view records, and schedule appointments online.

Digital Clothing Record:
The traditional paper DA Form 3645 can now be viewed as a dynamic digital record within the SEAM portal, allowing Soldiers to view, manage, and print their official equipment list on demand. This provides constant access to their OCIE record and empowers them to maintain personal accountability.

Global Appointment Scheduling:
The system empowers Soldiers with a self-service tool to schedule, reschedule, or cancel appointments at any Central Issue Facility (CIF) worldwide. This provides greater flexibility and control over their time, eliminating the need for phone calls or in-person visits and making it easier to coordinate clearing procedures.

Real-Time Equipment Visibility:
SEAM provides Soldiers with visibility of their equipment, complete with photos. This ensures that a Soldier's record is accurate and up-to-date, giving them direct oversight of their assigned gear and reducing the potential for discrepancies that were common with the legacy system.

Streamlined PCS and ETS:
The program simplifies the equipment clearing process for Soldiers who are changing duty stations or separating from service. By providing a single, persistent digital record and easy appointment scheduling, SEAM makes in-processing and out-processing a smoother and more efficient part of a Soldier's transition.

Integrated User Support:
The SEAM portal includes a comprehensive "Knowledge" tab with self-help resources such as videos, FAQs, and step-by-step articles. For more complex issues, a "Get Help" feature allows Soldiers to submit a support ticket and receive a trackable case number for resolution.