Chapter 2 - Medical Fitness

A-MD-154-000/FP-000

Fitness

Free from illness and able to function efficiently and effectively, to enjoy leisure, and to cope with emergencies. Health-related components of fitness include body composition, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, muscular endurance, and muscle strength. Skill-related components include agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, and speed. (Source: Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise, by Michael Kent, Oxford University Press)

The medical fitness of Canadian Armed Forces personnel is perhaps the most crucial factor in determining their overall effectiveness. By extension, every member’s medical fitness impacts upon the potential of other unit members, and ultimately upon the operational effectiveness of their unit. It is therefore incumbent upon Medical Officers (MOs) to clearly, accurately and precisely describe any limitations resulting from a medical condition to optimize access to the appropriate level of health care and to provide the chain of command and administrative authorities with an equally clear, accurate and precise opinion of patients’ employment capabilities. This will be accomplished through a sequential process that begins with a thorough examination of the member, followed by a comprehensive description of employment limitations and culminates in the assignment of an appropriate medical category.

This chapter covers the following subjects:

1. Application of Medical Fitness to CAF Members
2. MPC Authority
3. Relationship to Universality of Service
4. Impact on Deployability
5. Deployability Individual Risk Assessment
6. CAF Generic and Occupation Specific Task Statements
7. Minimum Medical Fitness Enrolment Standards
8. Responsibilities
   1. Chief of Military Personnel
   2. Branch Advisors
   3. Surgeon General

Medical Fitness for Duty

1. Application of Medical Fitness to CAF Members
   1. CF Mil Pers Instruction 11/04, Medical Fitness for Duty
2. MPC Authority
   1. CF Mil Pers Instruction 11/04, Medical Fitness for Duty
3. Relationship to Universality of Service
   1. CF Mil Pers Instruction 11/04, Medical Fitness for Duty
   2. DAOD 5023-0, Universality of Service
   3. DAOD 5023-1, Minimum Operational Standards Related to Universality of Service
4. Impact on Deployability
   1. CF Mil Pers Instruction 11/04, Medical Fitness for Duty
5. Deployability Individual Risk Assessment
   1. CF Mil Pers Instruction 11/04, Medical Fitness for Duty
6. CAF Generic and Occupation Specific Task Statements
   1. CF Mil Pers Instruction 11/04, Medical Fitness for Duty
   2. CFP 154 – Annex B, Generic Task Statement - All CAF Members
7. Minimum Medical Fitness Enrolment Standards
   1. DAOD 5002-1, Enrolment
   2. CF Mil Pers Instruction 11/04, Medical Fitness for Duty