Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-102

§10206 Members: Physical Examinations

Title 10 › Subtitle E — Reserve Components › PART I — ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION › CHAPTER 1007 — ADMINISTRATION OF RESERVE COMPONENTS › § 10206

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Selected Reserve members who are not on active duty must get a full medical and dental readiness check once a year. That check must include routine preventive screenings and periodic full physicals set by the Secretary of Defense, and the rules must take into account the member’s service, age, and gender. Each such member must also sign and send yearly paperwork to the Secretary in charge saying they are medically and dentally ready for duty. Members of the Individual Ready Reserve or the inactive National Guard must be examined when needed to find out if they are fit for duty, promotion, attending a military school, or other career steps. Any Reserve who is in active or inactive status but not on active duty must send a yearly certificate of physical condition to the Secretary in charge. When deciding fitness for active duty, the type of duty the person would do must be taken into account.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §10206

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Each member of the Selected Reserve who is not on active duty shall—
(1)have a comprehensive medical readiness health and dental assessment on an annual basis, including routine annual preventive health care screening and periodic comprehensive physical examinations in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense that reflect morbidity and mortality risks associated with the military service, age, and gender of the member; and
(2)execute and submit to the Secretary concerned on an annual basis documentation of the medical and dental readiness of the member to perform military duties.
(b)A member of the Individual Ready Reserve or inactive National Guard shall be examined for physical fitness as necessary to determine the member’s physical fitness for—
(1)military duty or promotion;
(2)attendance at a school of the armed forces; or
(3)other action related to career progression.
(c)Each Reserve in an active status, or on an inactive status list, who is not on active duty shall execute and submit annually to the Secretary concerned a certificate of physical condition.
(d)The kind of duty to which a Reserve ordered to active duty may be assigned shall be considered in determining physical qualifications for active duty.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 1004(a), (b) of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–337, § 1661(a)(4)(A).

Amendments

2006—Pub. L. 109–163, § 732(b), struck out “periodic” before “physical” in section catchline. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 109–163, § 732(a)(1), amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: “be examined as to the member’s physical fitness every five years, or more often as the Secretary concerned considers necessary; and”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 109–163, § 732(a)(2), substituted “to the Secretary concerned on an annual basis documentation of the medical and dental readiness of the member to perform military duties” for “annually to the Secretary concerned a certificate of physical condition”. 2001—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–107, § 516(a)(1), (2), substituted “Selected Reserve” for “Ready Reserve” in introductory provisions and redesignated concluding provisions as subsec. (c). Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 107–107, § 516(b), substituted “the member’s physical fitness” for “his physical fitness”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107–107, § 516(a)(4), added subsec. (b). Former subsec. (b) redesignated (d). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 107–107, § 516(a)(2), redesignated concluding provisions of subsec. (a) as (c). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 107–107, § 516(a)(3), redesignated subsec. (b) as (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Dec. 1, 1994, except as otherwise provided, see section 1691 of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as a note under section 10001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 10206

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102