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- Travel, PCS and Transportation
- Important Regulation Changes
- Travel & Transportation Entitlements Summary
- Permanent Change of Station (PCS)
- Temporary Duty (TDY)
- Junior COSTEP Travel Information
- Official Travel Forms
- Household Goods Officers
- Transportation
- Government Travel Charge Card
- Table of Frequently Used Acronyms
- Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
- Links
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- Awards-Officer Awards Program
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- Eligibility to Receive Awards
- Approval Levels
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- Write-Up (Narrative) Guidance & Tips
- List of OPDIV Awards Coordinators (PDF, 67kb)
- List of Liaisons (PDF, 266kb)
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- About Policy
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- Frequently Asked Questions
- Political Restrictions
- Promotion Ceremony Protocol (PDF, 126kb)
- SGHG Drill and Ceremonies Manual (PDF, 3.39mb)
- Uniform Specifications
- PHS Hard Shoulder Boards and Sleeve Insignia (Male and Female) (PDF, 828kb)
- PHS Soft Shoulder Marks (Unisex) (PDF, 324kb)
- Medical Requirements for Promotion
- RedDOG Force Readiness Information
- Link to list of Chief Professional Officers (CPO) (PDF, 348kb)
- Link to list of Liaisons (PDF, 266kb)
- Link to list of Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) Chairs (PDF, 19kb)
- Promotion Board Recommendations
- Not promoted? Now What?
- FAQs
- Promotion, Readiness and Compliance FAQs
- Permanent Promotion Eligibility Chart
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Medical Affairs
Frequently Asked Questions
The periodic health update (PHU) is an evidence-based, patient-centered evaluation that aligns with the military services. A PHU provides more updated and relevant health information to Commissioned Corps Headquarters (CCHQ) Medical Affairs Branch (MAB) than a five-year physical examination. MAB must have current health information on every officer to support CCHQ’s assessment of an officer’s readiness to deploy, which is a condition of service.
No, as a Commissioned Corps officer you must complete and submit an annual PHU.
- a. The PHU requirement begins on January 1, 2020.
- b. You must complete and submit the PHU during your birth month period (the first day of the month preceding the month in which you were born and the last day of the month after the month in which you were born - 3 month window).
- c. During the transition to the PHU, no officer may get a PHU less than one year after his/her last periodic physical.
- d. During the transition to the PHU, no officer may have over five years between physical examinations.
- e. Your PHU is due:
Last Periodic Physical Initial PHU Due Subsequent PHU Due Before 1/2016
*By the end of the month 5 years after your last periodic physical or your birth month between 1/2020 and 12/2020, whichever comes earlier. First birth month no sooner than 1 year after initial PHU and every 1 year thereafter 1/2016-12/2018 Birth Month, 2020 Every 1 year thereafter 1/2019-12/2019
**First birth month, 2020-2021 that is at least one year after last periodic physical Every 1 year thereafter
*PHU Due Dates (Last Periodic Physical Examination < 1/1/2016) 
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**PHU Due Dates (Last Periodic Physical Examination 1/2019-12/2019) 
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Newly commissioned officers will get their first PHU during their first birth month period that is at least one year after their accession physical examination.
The Behavioral Health Survey (PHS-7083) contains four screening surveys that can help identify signs of possible alcohol abuse, depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Similar surveys are being used by the military services.
The Behavioral Health Survey serves two important purposes: (1) The survey can start a conversation with your provider about your mental well-being and (2) The survey provides a baseline survey for comparison with future post-deployment surveys.
The DD-2813, “DoD Active Duty/Reserve/Guard/Civilian Forces Dental Examination” form is much simpler than the PHS-6355 and more appropriate for a routine annual examination.
If you already have a record of your dental examination on a PHS-6355 form, you can submit that form. All new dental exams are written on the DD-2813 form.
That would be ideal, but MAB will accept a dental examination done up to six months prior to your birth month.
Complete the DD-2807-1, “Report of Medical History”. Also, complete the PHS-7083, “Behavioral Health Survey” as close to your medical appointment as possible. Print both of these documents as well as a DD-2808, “Report of Medical Examination,” and “PHU Instructions for Healthcare providers.” At the time of your appointment, give all four documents to your provider.
You should get a health screening examination (e.g. cervical, breast, colorectal cancer screening) as recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force. The only mandatory tests are your vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, etc.) and weight. The comprehensiveness of your PHU and additional testing is at the recommendations of your provider, however your provider should follow up on your current active health conditions or risks as clinically indicated.
You should be on a regular schedule for your screenings based on the recommendations of USPSTF and your provider. Remain on that schedule and do not delay screening or get screening too early just to align with your PHU. When submitting your PHU, please include the report(s) of your last completed screening test(s).
Retirement physical examinations are strongly recommended, but they are not mandatory. Their use is to document the status of all health conditions that you may have developed while in service. As such, if you are going for a retirement examination, ask your provider to complete the DD-2808.
Yes. Screening for latent tuberculosis (e.g. PPD, QuantiFERON-TB Gold, T-SPOT.TB) is no longer a readiness requirement. All applicants to the Corps will have screening for latent tuberculosis (LTBI) during the medical clearance process done through the DoD’s Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB). A second negative PPD within a one year period is no longer needed to be exempt from additional LTBI screening. It is expected, however, that if you deploy where there is a significant tuberculosis infection risk that you get appropriate screening for LTBI after the deployment and submit the results to MAB.
If you are required to get regular LTBI screening by your duty station, you must comply with that requirement and you should send the results to MAB by uploading them through the eDOC-U application.
From the information you give in the PHU, the Medical Affairs Branch (MAB) will determine your medical deployment status. The MRC provides a method for MAB to communicate with the Readiness and Deployment Branch without disclosing your protected health information. The categories are as follows:
MRC-1 Can be deployed anywhere without limitations MRC-2 Can be deployed, but due to health status has some limitations, special needs or requires some treatment or vaccination which can be completed within 48 hours prior to deployment. MRC-3 Temporarily not deployable (e.g. pregnancy, breast feeding, recent surgery or fracture, recent change in chronic medication, current significant illness). Usually, assigned in concert with the issuance of a temporary deployment waiver. MRC-4 Temporarily not deployable due to inadequate or incomplete information to determine MRC (e.g. outdated physical examination, documentation of a new permanent condition requiring more in depth medical record review). Requires timely action by MAB to resolve MRC status. MRC-1, 3, and 4 are self-explanatory. MRC-2 allows MAB to communicate your health needs (e.g. reliable electricity, refrigeration), limitations (e.g. unable to carry heavy weight), or needed acute treatments (e.g. special vaccination) to assure as safe a deployment as possible.