Categories of suitability for the army

All fitness categories at the military registration and enlistment office are determined according to a special document - It indicates diseases, anthropometric data and other information that makes it clear which fitness group corresponds to the health status of the conscript.

• “A” – fit for military service. There are no restrictions on the type of troops.
• “B” – fit for military service with minor restrictions. This category is set for both mild and severe diseases, so it is usually divided into four modifications: “B-1”, “B-2”, “B-3” and “B-4”.
• “B” – limited fit for service. The conscript receives a military ID and is sent to the reserve, but may be called up during hostilities.
• “G” – temporarily unusable. For some diseases, a temporary deferment is provided. When it ends, the conscript undergoes a second medical examination. If health improves, the conscript will be accepted into the army. If not, the young man will receive a second deferment or.
• “D” – not fit for service. The conscript is completely exempt from conscription and removed from the military register. It is not called up either in peacetime or in wartime.

What does fitness category “B” mean?

Fitness category “B” is the most common of all fitness categories. It is indicated for diseases of various degrees and stages, for borderline diagnoses, as well as for insufficient preparation for conscription activities.

Most diseases from the Schedule of Diseases fall into this category. Therefore, so that conscripts with diagnoses of different severity do not end up in the same troops, a mission indicator has been introduced for it. It divides the suitability category into four subgroups: “B-1”, “B-2”, “B-3”, “B-4”.

Expert opinion

Often category “B” is given to a conscript if he provided an insufficient number of medical documents or if they were ignored. If you do not agree with the decision of the military registration and enlistment office, consult with a lawyer and how to change your fitness category and get exemption from service.

Ekaterina Mikheeva, head of the legal department of the Assistance Service for Conscripts

Suitability categories “B-1” and “B-2”

• Marines,
• Special Forces,
• Airborne and airborne infantry divisions,
• border troops.

• submarine and surface fleet,
• among drivers and crew members of tanks, self-propelled guns, and engineering vehicles.

These troops include young people with excellent physical fitness and special anthropometric data. All additional indicators can be found in a special appendix to.

Fitness category "B-3"

The greatest interest among conscripts is in the “B-3” health category, since this group is the broadest and includes almost all conscription diseases. This category is indicated for minor dysfunctions of any organs, cured diseases and residual effects of various diseases and fractures. A conscript with category “B-3” is fit for the army, but with restrictions on physical activity.

With the "B-3" fitness category, they can be drafted into the army as a driver and crew member of infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers and missile launchers, as a specialist in fuel and lubricants units and other chemical units, as well as in the management and maintenance of anti-aircraft missile systems.

Those with the service category “B-3” are not accepted into elite troops and special forces. With it you cannot end up in the Marine Corps, Airborne Forces, Airborne Forces and Border Troops. Since the designation indicators for degree “B-3” are lower than those for holders of “A”, “B-1” and “B-2”, the level of physical activity during service will also be lower.

Table 1. Basic health indicators for category “B-3” in the military ID.

Indicator (draft group B3)	Meaning
	Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs	Anti-aircraft gunners, fuel and lubricants parts	Drivers and crew members of infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, launch systems
Height	more than 155 cm	up to 180 cm	up to 180 cm
without correction	0,5/0,1	0,5/0,1	0.5/0.1 – for drivers; 0.8/0.4 – for crew
Speech in a whisper	6/6	5/5	6/6 – for drivers; 1/4 or 3/3 – for crew
Color vision disorders	none	none	none

Fitness category "B-4"

If “B-3” is a fitness category that requires moderate physical activity, then with the “B-4” modification their degree is even lower. When receiving the B-4 fitness category, the army cannot be avoided either, but the choice of type of troops will be as limited as possible. A young man can be sent to radio engineering units, security and defense of missile systems and other types of troops/units that do not make serious demands on the health of military personnel.

The basic requirements for the anthropometry and health of a conscript when assigning the “B-4” fitness category can be found in Table 2.

How to change the “B” fitness category on a military ID?

Fitness category “B” is often assigned to conscripts who could have received a military ID due to illness, but for some reason were unable to do so. For example, because the degree of their illness turned out to be borderline between conscription and non-conscription. Or because medical documents were not enough to be exempt from conscription. In addition, the fitness category may be affected by errors in diagnosis, ignoring complaints, refusal to refer for examination, plans for conscription and other circumstances. You can read about such stories in the “” section.

Even if the military registration and enlistment office has assigned category “B”, do not be upset, it can be changed. There are several ways to solve this problem. The first is to appeal the decision of the military registration and enlistment office to a higher authority. To do this, request a copy of the decision of the draft commission and submit an application with a request to be sent for an in-person control medical examination. If the results of the CME turn out to be disappointing, there is another opportunity to change the category of fitness for military service - to file an application in court.

With respect to you, Artem Tsuprekov, head of the human rights department of the Assistance Service for Conscripts.

In which troops the conscript will serve and whether he will join the ranks of the Armed Forces at all depends on his fitness category in the army. After passing the medical examination, the young man is given a verdict on his suitability based on his health data. Find out when service is safe and when service in many troops will be unavailable.

Essence and meaning

Conscript categories include 5 letter positions, each letter indicating the level of limitation the conscript has. Military service, in addition to patriotism, places fairly high demands on health due to intense physical activity. Therefore, suitability groups are an integral factor in enrolling a young person in the service.

Most of the fitness categories in Russia are based on restrictive measures. Complete exemption from the army is provided for disabled people and people suffering from mental disorders. Previously, it was easier to “get rid” of the army, but after the service period was reduced to 12 months, the list of contraindicated diagnoses was also reduced.

The fitness category is recorded on the military ID by entering the corresponding letter (A, B, C, D or D) in Russian in a special column. In this case, the disease that served as the reason for assigning the category is not prescribed.

Decoding

Depending on the type and severity of the disease, a category is assigned, which can be changed during a repeat medical examination. Groups “A” and “B” have subgroups (“A-2”, “B-3”, etc.). But they do not play a big role for the conscript, but simply facilitate subsequent selection into the troops and for various specializations.

Category "A"

This category means the young man’s full suitability for service. It has no (or virtually no) serious contraindications. The advantage of group “A” is an unlimited choice of specializations with the opportunity to join the elite troops. The category gradation is as follows:

• “A-1” – full suitability without restrictions;
• “A-2” – minor restrictions due to previous injuries and illnesses;
• “A-3” – minor pathologies of the foot (flat feet at stage 1);
• “A-4” - implies mild dysfunction of the visual organs (for example, myopia less than 2 diopters).

With the mark “A-2” you can serve in special forces, “A-3” and “A-4” imply subsequent selection.

With the second degree, you are allowed to serve in tank and missile forces, on submarines (provided you are 170-185 cm tall and weigh up to 90 kg)

People with the third subcategory can also serve in missile units; chemical and internal troops are also available to them. Vision problems exceeding 20 degrees do not allow serving in the above regiments. The remaining structural units are available to the conscript if other health parameters are satisfactory.

Category "B"

Any of the subgroups of this category states that the conscript is fit, but with health restrictions. This category does not exempt you from service, but the choice of troops and specialties is significantly reduced. It is precisely the type of troops that each element of the gradation indicates.

This is described in detail by the designations of subgroups:

• “B-1” – access to elite and special forces (Airborne Forces, border and assault brigades, marines). Assigned to citizens with diseases that do not lead to serious changes in health and physical condition (allergies, long-standing fractures and other pathologies that do not affect well-being);
• “B-2” – access to tank, surface, and underwater units. They take conscripts with minor vision and hearing problems, moderate flat feet, and poor posture;
• “B-3” – elite troops and special forces for citizens with Group 3 banned. You can serve in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, anti-aircraft detachments and fuel and lubricants units, and also be considered a crew member or driver of infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, and launchers. The subgroup includes an extensive list of pathologies (the full list is given in the “Schedule of Diseases”) - breathing disorders, problems with the musculoskeletal system, hearing, skin diseases, etc.;
• “B-4” - the recruit will be sent to guard missile systems, serve in radio engineering units and in other units that do not involve serious physical activity.

Thus, the higher the number, the more restrictions the conscript is subject to. Each subsequent number significantly narrows the choice of troops. Group “B” is the final one, with which it is possible to enlist in the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

IMPORTANT! Decoding any numerical value related to the letter “B” indicates mandatory military service. Therefore, guys who expect to “switch off” from service with category “B” are greatly mistaken.

Category "B"

They do not undergo military service with this mark. Category “B” marks conscripts with significant pathologies that interfere with normal service. These may be endocrine and cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, neoplasms, infectious and sexually transmitted diseases, and significant visual impairment.

It is noteworthy that these pathologies are accompanied by a deterioration in the general condition of a person, have an open or chronic form, and entail a number of complications. Group “B” is a reserve category in which they are not accepted into the army in peacetime.

Moreover, during military conflicts, guys marked “B” are called upon to perform combat operations in the second order. They also participate in military training and undergo re-examination.

During a repeated medical examination after some time, health indicators may change, which will entail a change in the fitness category in the military ID. At the military registration and enlistment office, a man is given a military ID, and he is not recruited into the army. This group has no subcategories.

Category "G"

This category involves the assignment of a deferment of 6 or 12 months, depending on the severity of the disease and the required time to restore health. Six months (or a year) beforehand, the conscript must see his doctor, and each one does this at his own request.

At the end of the deferment, the young man is re-sent a summons; he must appear in person at the military registration and enlistment office for re-examination

If no changes have occurred during the designated period, it is assigned category “B” and sent to reserve. If there are positive changes in health status (recorded in medical documents), category “G” may be replaced by one of the subcategories of group “B”.

In addition to guys with temporary health problems, university students (full-time departments) can count on a deferment until graduation. If in the first case the military commission needs to provide a package of medical documents, then in the second - a certificate from the place of study.

Category "D"

Those who have been assigned group “D” are completely exempt from military service due to health reasons. They may not be afraid of conscription not only in peacetime, but also in wartime. This is due to the severity of diseases classified as “D” (HIV, absence of any organ, glaucoma, stroke, severe stages of chronic diseases, deafness, muteness, etc.).

REFERENCE! If category “D” is assigned to a serviceman (due to injury in service), he is added to the reserve. But he cannot be written off until a certain age due to his age group and his taking of oath.

How is a category determined?

Those who will be drafted into the army are determined by members of the military medical commission (MMC). In their activities they are guided by the “Schedule of Diseases” - a document that contains more than 80 names of diseases.

During the mandatory medical examination at the military registration and enlistment office, the commission examines medical certificates, extracts, and doctors’ opinions regarding the conscript’s condition. Hence the conclusion: the military registration and enlistment office does not identify the disease, but only announces a verdict based on the documents provided. Only healthy young men or those with minor disabilities that will not affect the performance of army assignments are allowed to serve.

Stock categories

Each serviceman is registered with the military and is subject to distribution into separate reserve categories. The latter are determined taking into account age, gender, and rank. This is done to ensure clear and coordinated actions during mobilization activities.

Upon reaching a certain age or after a deterioration in health, a serviceman leaves the reserve category forever. In 2020, medical examination at military registration and enlistment offices helps determine which people are suitable for the reserves and which are not.

There are 3 categories of reserve military personnel. The first includes privates, sergeants, midshipmen, warrant officers under 35 years of age. Junior (up to 45 years old) and senior officers (up to 60 years old), colonels and captains of the first rank (up to 55 years old), colonels, majors, captains of 2.3 ranks up to 50 years old are also listed here. They are called up first, since these people took part in hostilities or served in military service.

It is a common practice that in order to check the health of (potential) military personnel, they are ordered to undergo a second medical examination to confirm the diagnosis. At the same time, military registration and enlistment office employees are obliged to listen to the conscript’s complaints about his health condition.

The second group consists of military personnel from 35 to 45 years old, and senior management in the reserve (45-60 years old). Also here may be young people who did not get into the service because of the marks “B”, “G”. They go to serve after the start of the second wave of mobilization.

The third group is officers (50-60 years old), military personnel aged 45 to 50 years. This reserve category also includes women of the same age with military education or military service experience.

So, there are 5 categories of suitability for military service. Only one of them provides for complete exemption from the army with the issuance of a “white” military ID. This is group "D". They receive it in rare cases (in the presence of incurable serious diseases and mental disorders).

You can count on a deferment with category “G”, but a second medical examination may change it to the restrictive “B”, and then you will still have to serve. The letter “B” in a military man exempts you from military service in peacetime; during the period of general mobilization, the category will not save you from performing your duty. And only category “A” is given to completely healthy guys who can join any army, including the elite.

Having received a summons, the young man is obliged to appear at the military registration and enlistment office to undergo a medical examination. The military medical commission determines the degree of readiness of the conscript to serve for health reasons at the time of conscription.

The suitability category (A, B, C, D or D) expresses the result of the inspection. Its assignment indicates whether the young man is subject to conscription, to which troops he can be sent, or whether he has the right to be released from the army or to a deferment.

Health fitness

Medical board doctors assign a fitness category depending on the presence or absence
diseases:

• A: completely healthy and can serve in any military unit;
• B: there are pathologies that generally do not interfere with service in many military units;
• B: released during a period of peace, but called up during martial law;
• D: receives temporary release;
• D: Unfit under any circumstances.

Are they accepted into the army with category G?

Postponement, i.e. postponement of the conscription period for a certain period is given by the draft commission.
The reasons for this decision are:

• Studies. The young person is given the opportunity to graduate from school, college or university;
• Family circumstances. For example, a serious illness of a close relative;
• Job. The citizen serves in the police department or in other law enforcement agencies;
• Health. If there are serious illnesses, and because of them the young man is currently unable to serve, then he is assigned fitness category G.

So, it only postpones the moment of conscription by six months or a year. During this time, the citizen undergoes a course of treatment and again appears for a medical examination on a summons.

How to get a health deferment?

Fitness category G is assigned after a medical examination, and doctors do not make a diagnosis. They rely on the available data on the diagnosis, correlate it with the list of diseases and legally determine whether or not to send it to the reserve.

The conclusion of the military medical commission is based on the Schedule of Diseases. Here are the diseases that qualify for a deferment from conscription. If information about the health status is documented by the attending physician, the commission makes a decision based on the doctor’s opinion.

The military registration and enlistment office makes a request to medical institutions regarding the conscript. But, as experience shows, it is better to prepare for the draft on your own and receive a statement from the attending physician, which will indicate the diagnosis and attach the results of the examinations and tests completed. These documents must be submitted to a military medical examination.

Additional examination

After a medical examination, the commission has the right to send the conscript to additional
examination to clarify the diagnosis. To do this, an additional medical examination is carried out in the inpatient department of a registry hospital. This includes a full diagnosis, based on the results of which appropriate treatment can be prescribed.

What diagnosis is deferred?

It is recommended to postpone the conscription period in case of exacerbation of a chronic form of the disease, as well as after undergoing surgical interventions or injuries that led to a temporary loss of physical activity.
Conscripts who have the following deviations are considered temporarily unfit for service:

Upon completion of the course of treatment prescribed by the doctor, during the next conscription campaign, the citizen receives a summons for a second medical examination.

If the treatment was successful and the general physical condition returned to normal, then the citizen is sent to the army.
The military medical commission may determine that the conscript remains unfit for service and approve a second deferment.
Such actions are not always justified, so a citizen has the right to challenge an unlawful decision of the commission. The schedule of illnesses may not provide for a repeated postponement of the draft due to some illnesses. So, if the prescribed therapy for hypertension did not have a healing effect, then the citizen should be assigned
and send it to reserve.

What is the difference between G and V?

Assignment of fitness category B gives the right to exemption from the army for health reasons. During a period of peace, a citizen is not subject to conscription, but is sent to the reserve with a military ID in hand. It can only be mobilized if martial law is declared in the country.

Fitness category G gives the right to a deferment, i.e. transfer of service life. This is a temporary situation; after a second medical examination, the citizen is either sent to the army, or he is assigned category B. In exceptional cases, the conscript undergoes treatment in a hospital again. For the third time, the draft commission does not postpone the decision.

Legal support

A deferment due to health reasons is a sure chance, upon repeated medical examination, to receive a military ID and go into the reserves. The experts of our law firm will help solve the problem of assigning the necessary information. It is easier to solve such difficulties together with specialists. The sooner you seek help,
the greater the chance of eliminating the problem.
You can get a free consultation by filling out an application on our website or ordering a free call.

When carrying out conscription activities in relation to a conscript, one of its components is a medical commission (medical examination). At the medical commission, a conclusion is made regarding the conscript's suitability for military service for health reasons. The fitness category is determined in accordance with the Schedule of Diseases (Appendix to the Regulations on Military Medical Examination). From the approved fitness category It depends on whether he will go to serve in the army or be released from military duty.

• A - fit for military service; (subject to conscription)
• B - fit for military service with minor restrictions; (subject to conscription)
• B - limited fit for military service; (exemption from conscription: the conscript is enlisted in the Armed Forces Reserve and is issued a military ID)
• G - temporarily unfit for military service; (deferment from conscription for 6-12 months)
• D - not fit for military service. (exemption from military duty: the conscript is issued a military ID)

– More information about eligibility categories:
Suitability categories B1, B2, B3, B4
Fitness category B
Suitability category G
Fitness category D

As you already understood from the description suitability categories, in order to be released from the army, a conscript should achieve categories “B – limited fit” or “D – unfit”. Exactly these suitability category allow a conscript to legally not join the army.
Citizens often get confused with the wording of the categories “B – suitable with minor restrictions” and “B – limitedly suitable”. In the first case, you are subject to conscription, in the second, you are exempt from conscription.
The number after the letter “B” is called the mission indicator, determined in accordance with the Table of Additional Requirements of the Schedule of Diseases (Appendix to the Regulations on Military Medical Examination) and indicates the possibility of serving in a particular branch of the military.

Attention!
When citizens are initially registered for military service (at the age of 17), a medical commission is conducted in relation to the future conscript, which determines his suitability category. It should be understood that no matter what is assigned, when a citizen reaches conscription age (18 years), the medical commission will have to be repeated (and often changes).

If you have already passed a medical examination and decided to draft you into the army, i.e. You were assigned suitability category“A” or “B” (and you do not have the right to a deferment), then do not despair. There are many legal ways to avoid ending up in the Russian army. In this case, it is better to trust the professionals and act immediately.

Remember, any medical report, as well as a decision on conscription into the army, can always be appealed to higher authorities and justice can be achieved.

Every young man whose age is approaching adulthood has at least a basic understanding of the conscription campaign, which takes place twice a year. Meanwhile, in this matter it is necessary to achieve a clear understanding of the goals and methods of maintaining military records and mobilization training. This not only affects the competence of military personnel, but also fundamentally affects the future life and fate of the citizen himself.

First of all, it is necessary to clarify the attitude of a citizen to military service. To do this, questions such as fitness categories, deciphering military ID records, and those responsible for maintaining military records are raised.

Fitness category in the military ID

Considering the fact that the military ID is a form of a standard form, it is by no means filled out uniformly. Depending on the category of citizens, attitude to service, and the conclusion of the military commission, certain information may or may not be present on the same pages of the document.

1. On the one hand, it shows the result of a medical examination and is indicated on the 13th page of the document.
2. On the other hand, the category is set as an indicator of military service. The second page contains a special section for such information.

According to the generally accepted designation, suitability categories are indicated in the form of letters of the Russian alphabet. However, in some cases there is a decryption. The specified entry must clearly correspond to only one of the categories. As a data verification when filling out a military ID, it is imperative to establish a correspondence between the letter designation of the category and its decoding.

• Category “A” is designated as “Passable”. Usually, indicators of purpose are indicated with it. They make it clear which branch of the military the conscript is recommended to enroll in from the point of view of the military commission. The entry looks like this, for example:
• Category “B” sounds different from “Fit with restrictions.” The young man will not be exempt from military conscription, but due to a number of health-related circumstances, he can only join certain troops. Group “B” also has an indicator of purpose. He will talk about which troops are recommended for a given citizen.
• If in the section of the second page about conscript service it is written: “did not serve,” then the basis for this could be the presence of a special conclusion of the commission. With category “B”, a citizen immediately awaits the issuance of a military ID; he is enlisted in the reserve. During mobilization work, citizens with category “B” will be drafted into non-combatant military units.
• Category D (Unfit) is issued with appropriate medical indicators. In this case, the young man is not registered with the military. Due to this diagnosis, he was completely released from the army. A citizen with category “D” is given exemption not only from the service itself, but also from all military training.
• A temporary deferment is implemented when category “G” is assigned. However, it should be remembered that after the end of the declared period, the citizen will be subject to a second commission.

Find out: How is Article 21b correctly deciphered in a military ID?

What other records can you find?

On those pages in the military ID where the fitness category is indicated, there may be some other entries related to military service. Citizens who have received the document and are in reserve are assigned by special provision to one of three categories, designated by serial numbers. The category number must be written in the section on page 11.

To better understand the logic of assigning a category number, it is enough to remember that the most effective personnel should be called up in the forefront when wartime begins. These are people liable for military service who have not yet crossed the 35-year-old threshold.

As for the command staff, here the age limit reaches 60 years. This is explained by the need to provide each structural unit with experienced officers whose backgrounds include real combat operations or at least military training.

To simplify, you can use one more logic. Everyone who served in the army is sent to the reserve with the first category. The remaining citizens, represented by those studying under 27 years of age in graduate school or having two children, as well as those recognized as having limited fitness, are in the reserve with the second category.