- Authorized only for those units/duty locations within the States that do not have free access to fitness equipment on site or within ten (10) miles of the duty address (not residence), and commands are not already paying for fitness memberships. Free access to fitness equipment includes military installations, Reserve Center, National Guard Armory or public building offering free access to fitness equipment (any service).
- Active-duty, reserve, National Guard personnel on Federal Title 10 orders stationed in the States for the duration of the six (6) membership period they are signing up for and able to meet the minimum visit requirements of an average of eight (8) visits per month for a total of forty-eight (48) visits.
- Approved service members are authorized to bring their Families at no additional cost to the service member. It will be the responsibility of the Family members to help meet the visit requirements when the service members can’t.
- For YMCAs: An approved unit/duty location can choose to use any participating YMCA branch. All personnel at the duty location have to attend the same YMCA branch unless the branch is part of an association where you can use other branches in your area on an unlimited basis. A request for exemption would have to be submitted to select a second association based on where the service members live. See https:www.ymca.net/military-outreach for participating YMCA branches.
- For Private Gyms: An approved unit/duty Location can choose to use any private general fitness gym that fits the needs of all of the service members. All service members in the unit/duty location requesting a private gym MUST join the same gym/same location/same branch. Family members can utilize the memberships as long as the rate does not exceed $77/month. Any fee above $55/month for the service member or $77/month for a family membership. membership would be the responsibility of the service member to pay. See information below on selecting a private gym.
- Families of active duty personnel whose sponsor is deployed or on “unaccompanied tour” orders for a minimum of six (6) months that require the member to reside at an assigned duty location and restricts the spouse/Family from accompanying the member; AND
- Sponsor’s family resides at a service-designated independent duty station or in an area that is not at or near a free or service-provided fitness facility (moved away from the previous duty station)
- Able to meet the minimum visit requirements of an average of eight (8) visits per month for a total of forty-eight (48) visits.
- Membership application approval by the Army Service POC must be received PRIOR to registering at the YMCA or private gym.
- Families of federally activated National Guard and Reservists on Title 10 orders for a minimum of six months. Duty location cannot be within commuting distance of where the family is residing or the ability to go home on the weekends.
- Service member must be Federally Activated for the duration of the six month membership period. Deployment orders (with the SSN blocked out) must be submitted along with the application.
- All family members listed on the application must be listed on the service members DEERS profile.
- Able to meet the minimum visit requirements of an average of eight (8) visits per month for a total of forty-eight (48) visits.
- Federal Active Duty Title 10 personnel that are assigned to the Community Based Warrior Transition Unit with duty of their home address
- Able to meet the minimum visit requirements of an average of eight (8) visits per month for a total of forty-eight (48) visits.
- Ensure the YMCA has their visit log for visiting other YMCA branches under the A.W.A.Y. program.
- A waiver request for not meeting the visit requirements AND a memo from the command requesting a waiver be granted.
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Visit report from the current six month membership period showing the visit requirements were met starting April 1, 2022 (entire family must be provided if a family membership)
- Please DO NOT scan the documents together
DoD Military Initiative
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Due to COVID-19, YMCA and private fitness access will be situational based on individual facility determination and as regulated by local and state authorities. Service members are responsible for coordinating and complying with their military unit/command recommendations and restrictions on facility use.
Review of the visit report for renewal eligibility restarted on April 1, 2022. Renewals submitted after July 1, 2022 will need to provide the visit report for review showing the visit requirements were met starting April 1, 2022. The visit requirements must be met in order to be eligible for renewal.
Members that will not use the facility for 30 days or more should notify the facility as soon as known (via phone or email) and request their membership be put on HOLD status; if approved by the facility manager, the membership term may be extended by the same period of time it was on hold at no additional cost to the government.
Please ask for written confirmation that the membership was put on hold.
Requests are still being processed. Payments are being held until the crisis has subsided and confirmation that the fitness facility is open for business.
Armed Services YMCA DoD Military Initiative
The DoD contract with the Private Gyms and YMCAs has been extended for one year until March 30, 2024. You will need to ensure that the visit requirements are still met to be eligible for renewals. An extension of the contract does not constitute as a waiver for not meeting the visit requirements.
DoD has contracted with the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) to fund YMCA memberships at participating YMCAs throughout the United States and Puerto Rico for the following groups:
Independent Duty Personnel Eligibility (Category 1):
Command/unit designation form and membership application approval by the Army Service POC must be received PRIOR to registering at the YMCA or Private Gym.
Active Duty Relocated Spouse Eligibility (Category 2):
Deployed National Guard and Reservists Eligibility (Category 3):
Membership application approval by the Army Service POC must be received PRIOR to registering at the YMCA or private gym.
Soldier Recovery Unit Eligibility (Category 4):
Membership application approval by the Army Service POC must be received PRIOR to registering at the YMCA or Private Gym.
Forms/Documents:
Due to newly implemented accountability measures, all units are being re-approved as well as the individual service members which has increased the amount of time to GET to your request to 4-5 weeks. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.
Command/Unit Designation – required for only Category 1
Membership Application – required for all categories
Soldier Eligibility Verification Memo – required for Category 1
Attendance Requirements for all categories
Respite Child Care
Children up to age 12 of deployed Guard and Reserve personnel, relocating spouse and Independent Duty Personnel will be authorized free respite child care up to 16 hours per month, per child in participating YMCAs in all states with licensed and certified childcare. All 50 states have now been approved – they will just have to sign up once their membership has been approved.
Procedures for Requesting
YMCA/Private Gym New Membership Requests:
1. Category 1 ONLY: Fill out the NEW Command/Unit Designation Form. Only required if the unit has not been approved within two (2) years on the new form. This unit approval designates the fitness facility that all personnel at the duty location will utilize. It must be signed by the Commander or Officer in Charge. Unit Administrator signatures will NOT be accepted. Provide Unit POC information on the form (someone within the unit). Include only one copy. Unit/duty location can select ONE YMCA Association and/or ONE private gym location. Service members can only have one membership.
2. Eligible personnel are those on Federal Active Duty Title 10 orders that are assigned to the unit/duty location for the duration of the six (6) month membership and the service member/family are able to meet the minimum visit requirements of an average of eight (8) calendar days per month for a total of forty-eight (48) visits.
3. All Categories: Everyone who is eligible and interested in participating must complete the Membership Application. The start date of the membership will be when the approvals are completed not when the Soldiers/family members decide to show up.
4. Soldier Eligibility Verification –
Category 1 ONLY: Please complete and have signed by the Commander or Officer in Charge sign a Soldier Eligibility Verification memorandum and list everyone that is requesting the membership on one memo. The memo cannot be dated more than 30 days old.
All other Categories, provide a copy of deployment orders with the SSN blocked out.
5. Please DO NOT scan the documents together.
6. This is a six month membership that is NOT automatically renewed. See instructions below for renewing process
Once the Unit approval and membership applications are approved for eligibility, the Armed Services YMCA will contact the local YMCA/Private Gym for payment. Notification will be sent to the Commander and Unit POC on the approval of the memberships and start dates. Any fees incurred before a contract negotiations is completed and paid for will be the responsibility of the service member to pay.
Send the forms for all categories for approval by the Army Service POC prior to registering at the YMCA or private gym:
US Army Recruiting personnel ONLY send to:
usarmy.knox.usarec.mbx.g1-ymca-fitness@mail.mil
All other personnel send to:
usarmy.jbsa.imcom-hq.mbx.army-ymca@army.mil
Requirements for Selecting a Private Fitness Facility:
It is up to the unit to determine which private fitness facility would meet the needs of all personnel now and in the future (i.e. locations, hours of operation, profiles, services etc).
Only general fitness locations will be authorized - no CrossFit, martial arts, yoga studios etc.
When selecting a private gym, make sure they allow six (6) month memberships and everyone understands that the registration/joining fee and any monthly fee exceeding $55/mo for the service member or $77/month for families will be the responsibility of the service member. Only the basic membership fee will be paid. Any add-ons will be the responsibility of the service member. All service members in the unit/duty location requesting a private gym MUST join the same gym/same location/branch. You can use other locations if basic memberships includes being able to use other locations. The private gym memberships are purchased in advance of service members registering, so please make sure that whoever is requesting the membership is serious about utilizing it. We are wasting a lot of money on memberships at private gyms for people that are not showing up or using it at all.
Please have the military members wait until those arrangements have been made, and confirmed by the ASYMCA, before utilizing the fitness facility. The military member will be responsible for all charges with the private facility until the ASYMCA has completed the membership contract arrangements. This is NOT a reimbursement program and charges incurred before final confirmation of membership is received will not be reimbursed to the individual or paid to the private fitness facility.
Usage Agreement:
The membership must log at a minimum an average of eight (8) calendar day visits
per month at YMCAs and Private Fitness Facilities. A visit is defined as : the Soldier comes into the YMCA scans their card for that day’s workout. That is one (1) visit for that calendar day. Multiple swipes by that participate or family members does not constitute multiple visits in 1 day. For attendance purpose all visits in one (1) day are counted only once. If the aggregate total of visits (a total of all of the family members at YMCAs) does not meet this requirement, then the membership will not be renewed at the six (6) month mark.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER!
It is the Commander's responsibility to ensure Soldiers are meeting the visit requirements. It is NOT the YMCA/Private Gym's responsibility to notify Soldier's when they are not meeting the requirements.
YMCA Travel Policy
If the YMCA Branch you join is part of the "Nationwide Program", you can utilize other branches while you travel on TDY or leisure (see your branch for guidelines). The member will need to register for the Nationwide database and can take 48 hours to process at their home YMCA. Not all YMCAs honor the Nationwide Membership, please check with the branch you are a member of and wish to “visit”. The member/family will need to use their home YMCA Association at least 51% of the time. When visiting another Y, members will show their valid YMCA membership card and photo ID. Their visits are then tracked in the Nationwide database so there should be no issue with reporting of attendance when used at another location. If the visiting YMCA is used more than 49% of the monthly visits, you can be asked to pay for the membership fee. All Ys do reserve the right to restrict or revoke the Nationwide Privileges at any point.
Travel Log: (Private Fitness Facility)
The service member must log the required number of visits at the Host Gym identified in the approved IDP and application. The service member is encouraged to notify their gym of their travels and see if there is a sister gym they could use or have the Host Gym block those dates on the membership (most gyms do). The ASYMCA POC will require documentation of the TDY dates upon renewal time.
Renewals Process for both YMCA and Private Gym Facilities:
This is a six month membership that is NOT automatically renewed.
ATTENDANCE REPORT – Reporting requirement waived until further notice due to COVID-19 disruptions.
Mandatory for Membership Renewal:
1st Renewal – attendance report for the previous 5 month period (minimum use = 40 days).
2nd Renewal – attendance report for the previous 6 month period (minimum use = 48 days).
If the visit requirements were met and the service member meets the eligibility requirements, a request for renewal is submitted. Category 1 Independent Duty personnel, should consolidate their unit’s requests.
The following will be submitted:
Category 1 only: Please complete and have signed by the Commander or Officer in Charge a Soldier Eligibility Verification memorandum and list everyone that is requesting the membership on one memo. The memo cannot be dated more than 30 days old.
All other Categories, provide a copy of deployment orders with the SSN blocked out.
Once the membership applications are approved for eligibility, the Armed Services YMCA will contact the local YMCA/Private Gym for a copy of the visit report which will be reviewed to ensure the visit requirements were met, and an invoice for payment. Notification will be sent to the Commander and Unit POC on the approval of the memberships and start dates. If the visit requirements were not met, then then membership will not be granted without going through the waiver process.
Send Renewal Requests for all categories for approval by the Army Service POC prior to re-registering at the YMCA or Private Gym:
US Army Recruiting personnel ONLY send to:
usarmy.knox.usarec.mbx.g1-ymca-fitness@army.mil@army.mil
All other personnel send to:
usarmy.jbsa.imcom-hq.mbx.army-ymca@army.mil
Waiver Requests
If the visit requirements were not met and the service member has a valid reason for not meeting the requirements a request for waiver can be submitted. The service member can include with their renewal request the completed Waiver Request with detailed justification on why visits were not met. The Command will also provide a memo requesting that a waiver be granted. The Armed Services YMCA will review the justification and visit report and notify the Unit POC and Commander of the acceptance or disapproval of the waiver.
