---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 10206"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "10206"
heading: "Members: physical examinations"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/10206"
units:
  - "Subtitle E — Reserve Components"
  - "Part I — Organization and Administration"
  - "Chapter 1007 — Administration of Reserve Components"
---

# §10206. Members: physical examinations

- (a) Each member of the Selected [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) who is not on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) 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](/usc/10/12521.md?p=4) 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](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9) 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](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) or inactive [National Guard](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-1) 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](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4); or
  - (3) other action related to career progression.
- (c) Each [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) in an [active status](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-4), or on an inactive status list, who is not on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) shall execute and submit annually to the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9) a certificate of physical condition.
- (d) The kind of duty to which a [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) ordered to [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) may be assigned shall be considered in determining physical qualifications for [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, § 1661(a)(1), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2977; amended Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title V, § 516, Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1094; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title VII, § 732(a), (b), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3351, 3352.)

## Notes

### 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.