Claim restated: MARADMIN 613/25 (published Dec. 18, 2025) announced updated Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and body-composition standards and stated they will take effect Jan. 1, 2026. The MARADMIN sets the effective date and specifies sex-neutral PFT scoring for
Marines in combat MOSs (minimum 210/300 using male age-normed scoring) and associated body-composition updates.
Evidence of effectivity: the official MARADMIN and multiple service news releases and press reports explicitly state the effective date of Jan. 1, 2026. However, the guidance also directs units to follow interim administrative procedures and notes that Manpower Information Systems (personnel/record systems) updates will be phased in over roughly six to eight months, with full implementation projected within a year.
Assessment of implementation status as of 2026-01-01: the policy change is legally “in effect” as of Jan. 1, 2026 per the MARADMIN, but operational implementation is phased — test administration, records, and automated enforcement depend on system updates and unit-level interim guidance. That makes on-paper effectivity true but practical, service-wide enforcement incomplete at this date.
Impacts and significance: Marines in combat MOSs are now subject to the new sex-neutral PFT requirement as of Jan. 1, 2026; commands are responsible for administering under interim guidance until systems are updated. Potential near-term impacts include changes to eligibility for promotion/retention decisions and administrative processing, but measurable outcomes (fail rates, separations, promotion impacts) are not yet available.
Uncertainties and caveats: because personnel and manpower IT updates are expected to take months, some administrative actions that rely on automated flags (e.g., automated promotion/retention filters) may not yet reflect the new standards. Unit compliance and interpretation of interim guidance may vary during the transition period.
Conclusion: The updated PFT standards are legally effective on Jan. 1, 2026 per MARADMIN 613/25, but full operational implementation and system integration remain underway, so the completion condition (fully implemented and in effect across systems/practice) is not yet met.