A future soldier going to serve under a contract or called up for military service in the ranks of the Russian Army must undergo a military medical examination, during which his suitability or unsuitability for military service will be determined. According to the results of the medical examination, the conscript will be assigned a certain fitness category, of which there are only five. If, after a medical examination, a young man is assigned fitness category “A”, then he is guaranteed to go to repay his military duty to his homeland. The only question is which troops?
What does fitness category “A” mean?
When a young man comes to a medical institution to undergo a military medical examination, he comes to the attention of doctors of various specialties. If the conscript has any documents confirming the presence of the disease, he must provide them to the commission, along with certificates from, for example, a drug dispensary, a dermatovenerological dispensary, etc.
During the medical examination, all conscript diagnoses are carefully checked against a special list called the “Schedule of Diseases,” which contains a list of all diseases that limit or exempt from military service.
“Schedule of illnesses” is a document on the basis of which a future military personnel is assigned a fitness category. If the council made a decision to assign the recruit category “A”, it means that he will serve, due to the absence of a non-conscription illness. In addition, this category is also assigned to those who have a non-conscription disease, but it is still in the initial stages, therefore, cannot become an obstacle to military service, since there are no functional impairments or disorders yet.
Category “A”: what does it mean?
This category is the highest health indicator. According to this category, the person undergoing examination has no contraindications to military service regarding physical activity.
As a rule, such a category can be set only in two cases: if there is no disease that is included in the list of non-conscription, or if at the time of passing the medical commission it is at an early stage and is not characterized by functional impairments.
Fitness category “A” can be obtained for the following diseases:
- diseases of the motor, endocrine, circulatory or nervous systems;
- anomalies that are congenital;
- disturbances in the functioning of internal organs;
- allergies and infections;
- ophthalmological problems.
Suitability category "A1"
This subcategory is considered the highest of all four, having the highest mission indicator, allowing a young man to serve in elite troops, for example, border troops, special forces or air assault. Special forces, airborne forces, and marines are also included in this list. To get into the elite units, you must have suitable physical characteristics.
For example, service in the Airborne Forces implies the absence of excess weight. Of course, lack of it can also become a serious obstacle to becoming a paratrooper. There are also restrictions on height: the future fighter of the “winged infantry” cannot have a height below 175 and above 190 cm.
In order for a conscript to be assigned category “A1”, he must meet certain health indicators:
- No underweight or grade 2 obesity.
- Excellent hearing (whispered speech should be recognized from a distance of 6 m).
- Height is within 185 cm, and for future submarine sailors - no more than 182 cm.
- Absence of dichromasia and limitation of the visual field (the excess should not be more than 20 degrees).
Which troops can a conscript with military fitness category “A” be sent to serve in?
Category “A” implies excellent health of the young person or as close as possible to this indicator. Such a mark on the military ID indicates that the conscript can be sent for military service in any military unit, regardless of physical activity, incl. to special forces.
But today, not many young men can boast of excellent health and good physical parameters. Therefore, guys with this category are mainly sent to military units that are in constant combat readiness. It is these units that are elite in the RF Armed Forces. These include:
- FSO Presidential Regiment;
- Airborne Forces;
- Special Forces;
- PV;
- DSHV;
- Navy;
- Sun;
- FSSP;
- Marine Corps;
- Aerospace Forces;
- Strategic Missile Forces.
Strict selection is carried out for any of the listed military formations. Quite often, a conscript’s excellent health status is not enough to get him into military service in elite military units. When selecting candidates, the psycho-emotional and anthropometric characteristics of the conscript, his physical fitness and other criteria are additionally taken into account.
Suitability category "A2"
If a conscript was assigned subcategory “A2” based on the results of a medical examination, it means that there were unpleasant moments in his life. For example, fractures of the upper or lower extremities, a serious illness that was successfully healed, or if at the time of the visit to the doctors he had residual effects of any ailments. To become a sailor and serve on submarines and ships, you must:
- Have a height of up to 182 cm.
- Do not be class 2 obese or underweight.
- Have excellent hearing (6/6).
- If there is a limitation of the visual field, this indicator should be no more than 20 degrees.
- Lack of dichromasy.
Pathologies that do not fall under group “A”
Military fitness group “A” is assigned to young men of military age who have not been identified with the following pathologies:
- Parasitic, infectious diseases;
- Mental disorders;
- Pathologies of the endocrine, nervous, musculoskeletal system;
- Allergic diseases;
- Congenital pathologies;
- Myopia up to 6 diopters;
- Metabolic disorders;
- Violations of circulatory functions and internal organs.
A more detailed list of diseases for which group A is not assigned can be found in the Schedule of Diseases.
Suitability category "A3"
[ads-mob-5]When, by decision of the members of the medical commission, a conscript is awarded category “A3”, it means that he has some eye diseases. For example, a young man with slight myopia - within two diopters - may fall into this category. If correction is not required, then the young man can be drafted into the internal troops, guard and chemical units, armored forces, missile forces and artillery. Suitability indicators are:
- Absence of 2nd degree obesity and underweight.
- Height is within 180 cm.
- The audibility of whispered speech is 5/5 or 6/6 m.
- Lack of dichromasy.
- Restriction of the visual field, completely absent or not exceeding 20 degrees.
Suitability category "A4"
When assigning this subcategory, you need to be prepared for the fact that a young man can be sent to serve in any branch of the military, with the exception of all those listed above. Suitability indicators are the same as for category A3. But what is the difference then? Category A4 includes conscripts who have either minor problems with vision or with their legs, namely with their feet. That is, if a conscript has first-degree flatfoot, he automatically falls into this category.
Degrees of suitability for military service
Some conscripts dream of joining elite troops, for example, the Airborne Forces, while others do not want to connect their lives with military service at all. It is on the basis of the fitness category established by the military medical commission that the branch of the military in which the young man is able to perform military service is determined, or the citizen is given an exemption from military service due to health reasons.
Some young people, after receiving a certificate, still do not understand whether they are suitable for military service or not. This occurs when you do not know where the category of suitability for military service is written on the registration card, as well as what the indicated symbols mean.
Most often, in conscript certificates, the degree of suitability for military service is indicated in capital letters “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “D”. However, the diagnosis itself was not deciphered after a medical examination.
Each individual letter encodes the citizen’s health status. One category means the full health of a young guy who is capable of serving in any army. Another category indicates that a man is partially or completely unfit for military service due to health reasons.
These categories were introduced specifically to make it easier to divide conscripts into those suitable and unfit for service, and the former also into those suitable for service in certain military units.
The highest category of suitability is designated by the letter “A”, and complete unsuitability for military service – by the letter “D”.
See the photo below, where the conscript’s fitness category for military service, established by the military medical commission, is written in the registration document:
Suitability grade "A"
The citizen’s fitness category for military service, indicated on the registration certificate with the letter “A,” indicates the young man’s full suitability for service in the army, moreover, in the most elite troops with increased physical activity:
- Marine Corps;
- Airborne Forces;
- Special forces;
- Airborne assault units.
Soldiers of the listed military formations primarily become participants in hostilities. Therefore, they must not only have good physical fitness, but also be mentally resistant to any stressful situations.
All the hardships of the first combat minutes in a collision with the enemy fall on the shoulders of these guys. Therefore, the success of any military operation primarily depends on them.
This category opens up the opportunity for healthy young men to serve in special forces, where the most difficult trials and physical exertion await them.
Suitability grade "B"
If the certificate contains category “B”, it means that the young man is considered fit for military service, but there are already some minor restrictions. That is, this degree of suitability does not prevent one from joining the army, but it does indicate that the citizen has health problems.
Most often, such citizens are drafted into military-technical units, rear services and other groups of second-echelon troops.
Personal health characteristics of a young man, such as flat feet, mild myopia, various infectious diseases or previous injuries do not indicate that the conscript is not able to fully devote himself to service in the first echelon military units. At the same time, the state does not want a citizen’s existing health problems to worsen during his service.
Suitability grade "B"
This category indicates that the conscript is limitedly fit for military service. Some young people, not understanding all the consequences of their own illness, rejoice at this decision of the medical board. After all, if the registration certificate contains the letter “B,” it means that the citizen is declared unfit for military service in peacetime.
As a rule, conscripts who believe that luck has smiled on them do not even strive to improve their health. But, in practice, these are people who have chronic pathologies throughout their lives.
Citizens with this category of suitability for military service are not sent to military units for military service. They are immediately enrolled in the military reserve, in which they will remain, according to current Russian legislation, until the age of 50.
After confirmation by the military commission of fitness category “B”, the citizen receives a military ID at the regional military registration and enlistment office. The document indicates his military specialty in specialized education.
You also need to know that for young people with this category there are restrictions on employment.
Degree of suitability "G"
If the fitness category “G” for military service is indicated on the registration certificate, the conscript is considered temporarily unfit.
This degree of military fitness is assigned to the following conscripts:
- Who, during a medical examination, were diagnosed with acute infectious diseases or exacerbations of chronic diseases;
- With the presence of mild flat feet, moderate myopia;
- Citizens who have problems with underweight or overweight;
- And also for young people with other diseases that can be cured.
In this case, the citizen’s registration card indicates not only the category of suitability, but also the reasons for the restriction, as well as the period of deferment of conscription.
This category is the most popular among military draft dodgers. As a rule, such people do not have serious chronic diseases, but they specifically maintain such a condition in order to periodically receive a new deferment, until they reach the age of 27. And according to the law, persons who have turned 27 years old are no longer called up for military service.
Degree of suitability "D"
Category “D” is assigned to conscripts for the same reasons as category “B”. But, in this case, individuals are not included in the military reserve group until the age of 50. They are immediately issued a military ID with the appropriate mark.
This degree means a citizen’s complete unsuitability for military service. At the same time, such persons are limited in choosing a distant profession. First of all, they will not be able to study in educational institutions of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They are also denied access to certain civilian professions.
In addition to the listed restrictions, citizens with military fitness category “D” may have problems obtaining a driver’s license and registering personal weapons.
What you need to know
When passing a military medical examination, each specialist participating in this process makes his own conclusion. Consequently, each doctor has the right to determine not only the category of suitability, but also the indicator of purpose. But how then is the general category of suitability determined? According to the lowest PP. That is, if a neurologist puts category “A1”, a therapist “A2”, and an ophthalmologist - “A3”, then the military ID will indicate that the future soldier has been awarded category “A3”. It is noteworthy that the PP and the category itself are advisory in nature, and the further fate of the young man is determined by the recruiting station.
Is it possible to change group “A1” to another
We found out how military fitness group A1 is assigned at the regional military registration and enlistment office at the medical commission and what it means. But many citizens liable for military service who are subject to conscription are also interested in whether it is possible to change the health group assigned by the military commission.
As practice shows, representatives of military registration and enlistment offices and members of conscription commissions, in order to fulfill the conscription plan, often violate the provisions of the current legislation of the Russian Federation, assigning inflated health groups to conscripts. At the same time, they ignore the verbal complaints of young people and the diagnoses made by civilian doctors. There are even known cases when young people with non-conscript pathologies were drafted into the army.
Therefore, many applicants for urgent conscription quite often do not agree with the health group assigned to them and file complaints with higher authorities to overturn the unlawful decision of the draft commission.
If a higher military authority, despite documentary evidence, supports the decision of the lower conscription commission, by which the conscript was assigned military fitness group A1 at the local military registration and enlistment office, the citizen should file a complaint with the court. The main thing is not to hesitate on this issue, otherwise you will have to go to serve with this particular group, despite the presence of any serious health problems.
Is it possible to switch from one fitness category to another?
It happens that a conscript does not agree with the opinion of doctors, and the law allows him to challenge the decision of the military medical commission. Sometimes a subcategory or even a category is overestimated, especially when there is a shortage or the military registration and enlistment office “has a plan.” But if a young man has a laudable desire to serve in the elite forces, and the subcategory assigned to him does not allow this, then what? He can change it.
The main thing is that your health condition allows you to do this. The initial registration, which also involves passing a medical examination to determine the category, is not so scary. After all, before conscription, the young man will have to undergo a medical examination again, and during this period he can improve his health in order to have a chance to fall into a higher category.
One must express one’s disagreement with the doctors’ verdict not in the office of a medical institution or in the military registration and enlistment office, but through the competent use of legal instruments, and appealing the decision of the medical commission is possible not only administratively, but also in court. If a young man has been assigned a specific fitness category, and he does not agree with it, then he needs to request a referral for further examination, or for an in-person control medical examination (CMC). If the KMO does not satisfy the conscript, then he has the right to go to court, notifying the military commissariat of his decision.
How can I change the category?
It happens that, bypassing the law, the military registration and enlistment office assigns fitness category “A” to conscripts. For example, such cases occur when a conscript prepares poorly for a commission or ignores an examination and does not collect all the medical documentation that is required. In other cases, this occurs due to an error by members of the medical commission.
One way or another, if you are not satisfied with the decision regarding the fitness category that was assigned to you, you can appeal it. Send a corresponding complaint to a higher military registration and enlistment office, or go to court.
