2025 SEPARATION HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAM FITNESS TO SEPARATE VERSUS FITNESS TO REAFFILIATE TO SERVICE IN THE NAVY RESERVE

[Tony]

CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED/
ROUTINE
R 101400Z JUL 25 MID180001837396U
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC
BT
UNCLAS
NAVADMIN 146/25
SUBJ/2025 SEPARATION HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAM FITNESS TO SEPARATE VERSUS
FITNESS TO REAFFILIATE TO SERVICE IN THE NAVY RESERVE//
REF/A/DOC/DODI 6040.46/14APR16//
REF/B/DOC/DoDI 1332.18 Vol 1/24FEB23//
REF/C/DOC/DoDI 6130.03 Vol 2/04SEP20//
REF/D/DOC/BUMEDINST 1300.6/21MAR23//
REF/E/DOC/NAVMED CH 15/15FEB19//
REF/F/DOC/DoDI 6130.03 Vol 1/06MAY18//
REF/G/DOC/SECNAVINST 1770.5/23AUG18//
REF/H/DOC/SECNAVINST M-1850.1/SEP19//
NARR/REF A IS DOD INSTRUCTION 6040.46, THE SEPARATION HISTORY AND PHYSICAL
EXAMINATION (SHPE) FOR THE DOD SEPARATION HEALTH ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.
REF B IS DOD INSTRUCTION 1332.18 VOLUME 1, DISABILITY EVALUATION SYSTEM
MANUAL: PROCESSES.
REF C IS DOD INSTRUCTION 6130.03 VOLUME 2, MEDICAL STANDARDS FOR MILITARY
SERVICE: RETENTION.
REF D IS BUMEDINST 1300.6, GENERAL DEPLOYABILITY ASSESSMENTS IN SUPPORT OF
OPERATIONAL MEDICAL READINESS.
REF E IS NAVMED P-117, MANUAL OF THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT, CHAPTER 15.
REF F IS DOD INSTRUCTION 6130.03 VOLUME 1, MEDICAL STANDARDS FOR MILITARY
SERVICE: APPOINTMENT, ENLISTMENT, OR INDUCTION.
REF G IS SECNAVINST 1770.5, MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSITION OF LINE OF DUTY
BENEFITS FOR MEMBERS OF THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS RESERVE.
REF H IS SECNAVINST M-1850.1, DISABILITY EVALUATION SYSTEM MANUAL.
POC/FORCE HEALTH PLANS AND POLICY OFFICER, RESERVE POLICY & INTEGRATION
(N1R), NAVY BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY/PHONE/ 703-681-9170
RMKS/1. Per reference (a), all Service members completing a period of
qualifying active duty must complete a SHPE. The SHPE serves primarily to:
a. Document the member's suitability for continuing service (e.g., Reserve
affiliation or potential return to active duty) as the baseline measurement
of "Fitness to Separate". "Fit to separate" status at the time of retirement
or separation does not imply that a departing Service member is devoid of
medical conditions or diagnoses, but rather indicates:
 (1) The absence of a service-connected disability condition warranting
referral to the Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) (except for cases where the
PEB has already made a finding).
 (2) Member meets medical retention standards, making them physically
qualified to satisfy Reserve affiliation obligations or be considered to reenter active service.
2. Per references (a) and (b), SHPEs are predicated on criteria for
retention standards, and the exam may be used for affiliation or
reaffiliation screening for up to 36 months from the exam completion date.
Because of this, it is essential that when conducting SHPEs providers truly
assess the member's medical status (diagnoses and all functional limitations)
against retention standards stated in reference (c), and document current
stability and all duty/deployment limitations associated with each of the
Service member's known diagnoses, and whether the Service member is fit for
continuing service by stating "fit to affiliate" or "fit to re-affiliate".
 a. Fitness to Separate. If a provider deems a member is "fit to
separate", but the member has a condition that is not currently in a stable
phase of treatment or would render them as non-deployable if remaining on
active duty, the Service member is considered not fit to immediately
affiliate or re-affiliate with the Reserve Component (RC) and will require a
new or updated accessions physical as per para 2.b.(3) of this policy to
immediately affiliate or re-affiliate with the Reserve Component (RC), the
provider must clearly document on the SHPE that the member is "NOT fit to
affiliate" to avoid automatic clearance to affiliate or re-affiliate into the
Active or Reserve Component with conditions that do not meet retention
standards.
 b. Fitness to Affiliate/Re-affiliate.
 (1) For the purpose of this NAVADMIN, affiliation refers to direct
transfer from Active Component (AC) to RC immediately after separation from
the AC. Reaffiliation pertains to applicants with prior service in the Navy
or Marine Corps who are not currently contracted in the Active or Reserve
Component and desire to affiliate with the Navy or Marine Corps Reserve after
a break in service.
 (2) Fit to affiliate/re-affiliate equates to Deployability Category
one (DCAT1) or two (DCAT2) as defined in reference (d).
 (3) If their prior Service separation was related to a medical
condition (e.g., a PEB finding of unfitness, administrative separation for
fraudulent or defective enlistment related to a medical condition, or not
being worldwide assignable due to a medical condition) the following applies:
 (a) These applicants must undergo a new or updated accessions
physical examination, following the procedures outlined in reference (e) and;
 (b) To affiliate, these applicants are required to meet the accession
standards for enlistment or commission, as outlined in reference (f) or
receive a waiver of the standards.
 (4) If their prior Service separation was not related to a medical
condition (e.g., separation at end of obligated service or separation at the
convenience of the government), their SHPE is current within 36 months, and
they were deemed "fit for separation" with all diagnoses noted as stable with
a deployability assessment that equates to DCAT1 or DCAT2 as documented on
the SHPE and "fit for affiliation/re-affiliation" (equating to Deployability
Category one [1] or two [2]), a new accession physical is not required unless
specifically requested by the organization through which they complete their
re-affiliation processing. Other documents may be required in lieu of a full
accession physical, such as an updated DD 2807-1.
 (5) An Echelon 5 medical department shall not initiate a Medical
Retention Review for condition(s) determined in the SHPE to meet affiliation
or re-affiliation standards for the period the SHPE is valid. MP1 Manpower
Availability Status Code may be directly assigned if the following criteria
are met: SHPE has been completed within the last 12 months, and Echelon 4
Regional Medical Director reviews SHPE and confirms mobilization limiting
medical conditions are present and meet the criteria of Physically Qualified
- Mobilization Limited.
 (6) If the individual has been separated for over 36 months or if
there is no available SHPE or military physical examination current within 36
months, the individual is required to obtain a new accession physical
examination and receive a "physically qualified" determination or medical
waiver to re-affiliate. Other examination timelines or requirements may
apply based on the policies of the organization through which the reaffiliation is processed.
3. Other Findings. RC Service members on active duty for more than 30 days
may be eligible for medical hold (MEDHOLD) per reference (g) and (h). RC
Service members who decline or are ineligible for MEDHOLD may be eligible for
Line of Duty Healthcare, or Line of Duty Benefits for Disability Evaluation
System if their disability was incurred or aggravated in a qualified duty
status pending adjudication by Benefits Issuing Authority per reference (h).
RC Service members may enter the DES process from either MEDHOLD or LOD if
conditions do not resolve. Limited Duty is not an administrative category
available to RC members.
4. The point of contact is BUMED N1R and can be reached at 703-681-9170.
5. This NAVADMIN remains in effect until superseded or cancelled, whichever
comes first.
6. Released by Rear Admiral Darin K. Via, N093, Surgeon General of the
Navy.//
BT
#0001
NNNN
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED/