The U.S. Army is moving forward with its ambitious goal of transforming how it approaches soldier readiness and well-being by expanding its Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program beyond the active duty force.

A series of pilot studies, set to begin this summer, will explore how to effectively implement the all-encompassing fitness strategy among the more dispersed elements of the Army — specifically within the National Guard and Reserve.

Lt. Gen. David Francis, head of the Center for Initial Military Training and deputy commanding general of Training and Doctrine Command, told Army Times that the initiative has already gained impressive traction within the active duty force.

“We’re set to have 71 active duty brigades with Holistic Health and Fitness resource teams by October,” Francis said, noting this milestone places the Army well ahead of its previously set goal of reaching 111 brigades by 2030.

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But while the H2F framework has proven successful within the more centralized and structured environment of active duty units, the Army now faces its next challenge — scaling the program for use among decentralized, smaller units such as those in the Guard and Reserve.

“The real challenge in delivering this capability will be how we do that with our dispersed units, both in the active component and in the Guard and Reserve,” Francis explained.

The H2F program is the Army’s first comprehensive health and performance system that targets five core domains: physical, sleep, nutrition, spiritual, and mental.

The initiative brings together experts such as strength and conditioning coaches, registered dietitians, behavioral health professionals, and chaplains to support a more holistic approach to soldier well-being and readiness.

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Recognizing the unique demands and organizational structure of the Reserve and Guard components, the Army will roll out six targeted pilot programs beginning in fiscal year 2026.

The goal of these pilots is to help fine-tune what embedded H2F teams should look like in more widely dispersed units, including those with fewer than 1,000 soldiers.

“We are committed to making sure that our Guard and Reserve folks are taken care of because when they go [deploy], they got to be just as strong and fast as everybody else,” emphasized Gen. James Mingus, vice chief of staff of the Army.

The first pilot will launch this summer at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Washington, using an active duty unit to test new methods of distributing H2F resources across smaller brigades that previously lacked dedicated teams.

The Army plans to repurpose a former embedded H2F team to support both the installation commander and these under-resourced units.

In addition, new models for delivering H2F services will be tested using the Area Support Team and H2Fast concepts.

These approaches will allow H2F resources to be delivered more flexibly and efficiently to remote units that cannot sustain full embedded teams.

For the Reserve component specifically, H2Fast teams — comprised of five members — will be assigned to readiness divisions.

From there, they will manage and distribute H2F support across their subordinate units, ensuring that each component has access to resources tailored to its unique needs.

Alongside these efforts, the Army is also running a separate pilot focused on wearable fitness technology. This study is testing fitness trackers among soldiers undergoing basic combat training, one station unit training, and advanced individual training.

Data from these devices will feed into a larger H2F data management system currently under development, aimed at tracking and improving soldier performance across the entire Army.

According to Francis, the insights gleaned from these devices could allow Army schools to better tailor training programs and interventions before soldiers reach their first permanent unit.

That data-informed approach represents a significant leap forward in aligning training and support with real-time soldier needs.

Still, while these pilot programs aim to refine the logistics of deployment, Francis stressed that units across the Army don’t need to wait for these studies to conclude before implementing H2F principles.

To help facilitate that transition, the Army recently rebranded the Army Physical Fitness School at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, as the H2F Academy.

There, soldiers can take part in the H2F Integrator course — a specialized program designed to train leaders and soldiers alike in how to bring H2F practices into their formations immediately.

As the Army continues to modernize and evolve in an era of multi-domain operations and shifting strategic priorities, the expansion of H2F to every corner of the force — including part-time and geographically dispersed units — is a critical step in ensuring all soldiers are mission-ready.

“Holistic readiness isn’t just about lifting more or running faster,” Francis said.

“It’s about ensuring that every soldier — no matter where they serve — has the tools, knowledge, and support to thrive, perform, and recover, both in uniform and beyond.”

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