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DAF updates medical shaving profile guidance to align with Secretary of War grooming policy

Tuesday, December 16th, 2025

FALLS CHURCH, Va. —

The Department of the Air Force updated its medical guidance for shaving profiles, Dec. 15, 2025, to align with the Secretary of War’s grooming standards.

Effective Jan. 31, 2026, all shaving profiles issued before March 1, 2025, are invalid. Airmen and Guardians who have medical shaving profiles issued prior to March 1, 2025, should schedule an appointment with a military health care provider for further evaluation before the January deadline.

Additionally, the Dec. 15, 2025, memorandum equips primary care providers, medical profile officers and unit commanders with guidance to inform their decision to recommend and approve or deny a medical shaving profile.

Key updates

Profiles must incorporate applicable grooming standards outlined in Department of Air Force Guidance Memorandum 2025-03 to Department of Air Force Instruction 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Department of Air Force Personnel.
No single profile may exceed a six-month period.
Beginning Feb. 1, 2026, Airmen and Guardians who accumulate more than 12 months of shaving profile within a 24-month period will be referred to their commander.
This new memorandum does not apply to shaving waivers granted for religious accommodations.

Primary care manager role – recommend

Primary care managers evaluate members for medical conditions, recommend profiles, and submit their profile recommendations to a medical profile officer.

Profile officer role – review

For profiles of 30 days or less – Profile officers review the provider’s recommendations.
For profiles greater than 30 days – Senior profile officers review recommendations.
Profile recommendations that meet all review criteria earn a “concur” and are submitted to the unit commander for consideration.

Commander role – approve

Commanders have final approval authority for medical shaving profiles. They record their electronic approval or denial via the Aeromedical Services Information Management Systems (ASIMS) within seven days.
Commanders may request service members to be evaluated due to operational concerns stemming from a medical condition.

Airmen and Guardians who have or are at risk of getting PFB will be given preventive education on appropriate shaving hygiene and, if needed, medication, a consultation with a Dermatologist (or specialist) or a recommendation for laser hair removal.

The Dec. 15 memo is an update to the policy in January 2025, designed to assist health care providers in evaluating Airmen and Guardians for a Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) diagnosis. That memo differentiated between shaving irritation and PFB, and provided criteria to distinguish between mild, moderate and severe cases of PFB.

The Air Force Medical Service is committed to the health and safety of its service members while ensuring readiness standards consistent with the Department of War. The updated memorandum serves to maintain an informed environment on grooming standards to minimize harmful effects on operational readiness.

Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, Profession of Arms | 1 Comment »

Registration Now Open for 2026 US Army Small Arms Championships

Friday, December 12th, 2025

Registration for the 2026 U.S. Army Small Arms Championships is now open. The week-long, live-fire training event tests Soldiers’ skills in rifle, pistol and multigun courses of fire. There are also opportunities for Excellence in Competition points to be earned in both rifle and pistol.

This event is only open to Active Army, Army Reseves, US Army or Air National Guard, Military Academy, College ROTC Cadets and OCS Candidates. Civilians and military personnel from other services are prohibited from participating in any event.

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“Earn It”

Monday, November 24th, 2025

This short video by the USASOC PAO features CSM JoAnn Naumann. As a former SOT-A member it was amazing to see another crypto linguist be selected as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to Army Special Operations. She has moved on to US Strategic Command, breaking even more ground for intelligence professionals.

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Air Force Chief of Staff Approves Morale T-Shirts and Callsigns On Aircrew Nametags

Thursday, November 13th, 2025

In a memorandum issued Monday, Gen Kenneth Wilsbach authorized the return of colored Morale T-Shirt for wear with utility uniforms on Fridays (at the discretion of the commander). Tied to unit heritage and esprit, this has been an on-again-off-again tradition over the years, based on who was in charge at the time. I’m glad to see it. Hopefully Airmen will get a few more opportunities to show off their unit pride.

Although it doesn’t affect as many, the memo also authorizes Airmen who wear the Flight Duty Uniform to use their callsign and last name on their aircrew nametag.

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CMSSF Unveils World-Class Master Sergeant Framework

Sunday, October 5th, 2025

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AFNS) —

The Space Force is charting a new course for enlisted development, focusing on building “World-Class Master Sergeants” to lead the way. During a recent address at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna outlined a new framework aimed at strengthening leadership and expertise at the core of the service.

Bentivegna emphasized that the future of space operations hinges on empowering exceptional leaders. “Our focus is at the tactical and operational levels, ensuring that our master sergeants are fully prepared to lead across critical mission areas,” he stated.

Master sergeants, with support from senior enlisted, will drive mission execution and foster the development of technical sergeants, sergeants, and specialists. In this model, the Space Force is reimagining the Master Sergeant rank, positioning it not merely as a step within the senior noncommissioned officer tier, but as the pinnacle of enlisted service – a role that embodies mission-focused leadership.

“If we focus on developing the right master sergeants … we’ll naturally have the right talent to create E-8s and E-9s,” Bentivegna explained. “There is a need for meaningful and challenging training to build a strong and cohesive team for the future of the Space Force.”

A key element of this vision is a rigorous training pipeline. The Space Force will implement a demanding Basic Military Training program, designed to push trainees to their limits. Successfully completing this initial training will result in promotion from E-1 to E-2, signaling their readiness. Subsequent specialized skills training will be equally selective, with successful completion resulting in promotion to E-3, demonstrating warfighting competence.

Following specialty training, Guardians transition to operational roles, undergoing qualification training. Certification by their local squadron commander signifies their “combat-mission ready” status, leading to a promotion to E-4. This commitment to combat readiness is a cornerstone of the new framework.

The Space Force is also embracing a “fully-qualified promotion” model. Historically, promotion to E-5 involved sending records of eligible Guardians to a board where each record is scored and only a set percentage are promoted based on merit.

Bentivegna emphasized that promotions shouldn’t be based on competition against others, but on meeting established standards. “Guardians who demonstrate competence through training, experience, and acceptance of greater responsibility will be rewarded through promotion.”

This model focuses on proving skills and preparedness, rather than competing for a limited number of promotions. This year marks a shift toward this model. A 100% opportunity was offered for eligible E-4s to advance to E-5 by meeting established standards rather than being compared against their peers.

Looking ahead, the Space Force aims to further empower commanders. In 2026, the service plans to delegate promotion authority for E-5s to tactical-level commanders, rewarding Guardians for their ability to learn and prove their skills. This initiative emphasizes warfighting competence and proven skills over competition for limited promotion slots.

Master sergeants will be central to the Space Force’s culture of mentorship and leadership. They will lead diverse teams comprised of officers, enlisted, and civilians, managing resources, executing critical missions, and mentoring the next generation of leaders to shape the force’s future success.

As Bentivegna said, “We need Guardian who are subject matter experts, but we also need them to teach, to train, to mentor. So, there is no saying, ‘I will be a technical subject matter expert, I want to do operations, I don’t want to lead.’ There is no such thing, We all lead at our levels. We all have influence over others.”

This framework underscores the Space Force’s commitment to developing highly skilled and effective enlisted leaders. By implementing demanding training programs, modernizing the promotion system, and emphasizing operational excellence, the Space Force seeks to empower its master sergeants to lead and develop the next generation of Guardians, ensuring readiness for future challenges in the space domain.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

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US Army Updates Ranger Handbook

Wednesday, October 1st, 2025

Just published last month, the latest version of TC 3-21.76, Ranger Handbook, supersedes the previous version of 26 April, 2017.

Download you copy here.

Posted in Army, Profession of Arms, TacCraft | 5 Comments »

US Space Force Releases New Human Performance and Readiness Manual

Monday, September 29th, 2025

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

The U.S. Space Force released its first Space Force Manual 36-2905, Human Performance and Readiness, which establishes clear, mission-focused standards to optimize Guardian fitness and readiness.

All Guardians are now required to complete a Human Performance Assessment once a year if they are enrolled in the Continuous Fitness Assessment Personalized Readiness Integrated Through Monitoring and Engagement study and twice per year if they are not. The HPA measures muscular strength, muscular endurance and cardiorespiratory fitness on an 80-point scale. Guardians must earn a composite score of 60 or higher to be considered physically ready. One of the HPAs must include a 2-mile run.

To implement the manual, squadrons will establish Unit Fitness Cells staffed by Guardian Resilience Teams. Unit commanders and UFCs will ensure all Guardians complete an initial HPA between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2026. Physical fitness testing will not be required before Jan. 1, 2026, to allow time for UFCs to be established and Guardians to prepare.

“The Space Force human performance standards are mission-driven and tailored to the unique physical and cognitive demands of our Guardians,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman. “The manual reflects our commitment to investing in Guardian health, resilience, and long-term performance, and ensures we’re ready to thrive and win in the most demanding operational environments.”

The manual incorporates human performance standards within the Space Force’s Holistic Health Approach, a science-based model that emphasizes Total Force Fitness across eight domains: physical, financial, spiritual, preventive care, environmental, nutritional, psychological and social. This supports the Secretary of the Air Force’s Culture of Fitness initiative and aligns with the Under Secretary of the Air Force’s efforts to enhance fitness and readiness.

“The Human Performance and Readiness Manual directly supports our commitment to emphasize the Guardian Experience and to execute our mission to deter threats and control the space domain,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna. “Our ability to maintain space superiority hinges on the readiness and resilience of our Guardians, who are our most valuable advantage … our Human Weapon System. This manual equips them with the standards and resources necessary to meet the unique physical and cognitive demands of modern space warfare, ensuring they are always prepared to safeguard our nation’s interests.”

The manual retains the existing Space Force body composition program without changes.

SPFMAN 36-2905 reflects the Space Force’s commitment to developing warfighters capable of meeting the demands of modern space warfare through a technology-enabled, persistent readiness system.

View the SPFMAN 36-2905 here.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

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US Air Force Updates Physical Fitness Program

Wednesday, September 24th, 2025

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

In support of the Department of the Air Force “Culture of Fitness” initiative, the Air Force unveiled changes to its Physical Fitness Assessment and a new fitness program, which will apply to Total Force Airmen.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the Air Force will pause all PFA testing to facilitate the transition to the updated program. The Air Force will then begin testing Airmen on the new PFA standards on March 1, 2026, with the release and implementation of the revised AFMAN 36-2905.

From March 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2026, all fitness tests will be diagnostic to provide Airmen time to adapt to the new standards. Beginning Sept. 1, 2026, the Air Force will resume official, scored testing under the new PFA standards.

“These fitness changes are about having a healthy, ready force prepared to meet today’s mission and the demands of the future fight,” said U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. “The updated model reflects our high standards for fitness and ensures our Airmen have the tools they need to protect their long-term health.”

The new PFA reimplements the scored body composition component using the current Waist-to-Height Ratio program and introduces a two-mile run. Additionally, service members will be required to take the PFA every six months regardless of their score. The updated scored components, to include body composition, and increased testing frequency introduce a more challenging physical fitness assessment to better gauge the fitness of the force.

The updated PFA features a 100-point scoring system across four categories:

• Cardiorespiratory (50)

• Waist-to-Height Ratio (20)

• Muscle Strength (15)

• Muscle Core Endurance (15)

All alternate exercises for cardiovascular, strength and endurance components remain an option for Airmen during their PFA; however, Airmen will be required to perform a two-mile run during at least one PFA every 365 days; however, Airmen will be required to perform a two-mile run as their cardio component during at least one PFA every 365 days.

Active-Duty members can complete the body composition measurement up to five days before their PFA. Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members may complete their body composition component during their drill period prior to their PFA. All members retain the option to take their body composition measurement during the PFA, but that is not mandatory.

To better foster a culture of fitness across the force, installation commanders may now direct units to conduct mass testing for PFAs twice per year on the following cycles:

Cycle 1 – September to March

Cycle 2 – March to September

In addition to the PFA updates, the DAF is releasing “The Warfighter’s Fitness Playbook,” which provides guidance to Airmen and Guardians reinforcing the service’s efforts to ensure service members safely, healthily and effectively meet fitness and readiness standards.

“The Warfighter’s Fitness Playbook” is an adaptive and agile resource for Airmen and Guardians for implementing fitness and lifestyle management programs to include sleep and nutritional tips, and exercise and fitness guidance.

This toolkit emphasizes how physical fitness is essential for service members to meet and exceed the demands for airpower through strength and stamina and provides a comprehensive guide for Airmen to reach and maintain a high level of physical fitness.

This change augments the DAF’s approach to fitness, building a more ready and resilient force by empowering Airmen to prioritize their health and encourage excellent performance.

AFMAN 36-2905, “The Warfighter’s Fitness Playbook” and updated PFA scoring components can be found at www.afpc.af.mil/Career-Management/Fitness-Program.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

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