Navy Expands Uniform Policy to Permit Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches

Rowan Jordan/istockphoto.com

Such announcements are made when the need for standards revisions have been confirmed and approved by leadership.  

All Navy personnel gained official authorization to wear smartwatches and fitness trackers while in uniform. 

In a new attire- and grooming-centered policy update, the military branch extended its permissions to allow for the technology-based, biometric-capturing wearables. This standard is set to go into effect 60 days after the document’s publication.

“The policy change recognizes technology commonly utilized by sailors and society on a daily basis,” LT Travis Callaghan, a public affairs officer for the Chief of Naval Personnel, told Nextgov on Thursday. “Additionally, inclusion of the fitness trackers supports our sailor’s self-health awareness at all times.”

While in uniform, sailors and all other officials can wear one fitness tracker and one wristwatch or smartwatch simultaneously—but each on a different wrist, according to the update. Bracelets can’t be worn on the same arms as those devices. Further, only smartwatches and trackers in specific colors outlined in the policy are permitted.

This nascent standard was listed as the last among a variety in the document. Via it, Navy insiders are also now approved to include punctuation marks in their uniform name tags, name patches, or name tapes—if their legal names contain accents or otherwise. Women are granted permission to sport very-short-but-not-bald hairstyles, even those that show their scalps. And men can wear bald, flat topped, faded, and high and tight styles—though bald with sideburns isn’t allowed. Updates associated with sunglasses, swimwear, earrings, women’s shoes and more are also listed.

On Tuesday, Navy officials said these shifts are the result of Fleet feedback, uniform-focused working group discussions, listening sessions, and directions from leadership. The update also aligns with the branch’s diversity equity and inclusion initiatives and supports its Sailor 2025 objectives to attract and retain strong talent.

Callaghan confirmed that this move marks the first time these devices have ever been explicitly incorporated into uniform standards. “Although [they] were being worn prior to announcing formal policy, it was determined official guidance for wear with Navy uniforms is warranted,” he noted.

Smartwatches and fitness trackers are modern, wrist-worn accessories that perform multiple functions and can connect to the internet and GPS. Fitness trackers generally capture details around wearers’ activities and detect information regarding walking steps, running distance, heart rate, sleep patterns and swimming laps. Smartwatches can also record information such as heart rate and other vital signs, but are more like mini-computers with access to mobile applications. 

The Navy and other military branches have considered equipping personnel with such devices to perform a range of uses. However, the wearables are designed to capture location data and connect to the web, which presents some cybersecurity risks. A couple years ago, for instance, a website and app used to collect athletic information with GPS data, compiled users' data in a heatmap and inadvertently disclosed location of multiple overseas military bases. The Pentagon later banned all personnel from using geolocation services on their personal and government-issued devices in all “operational areas.”

In the policy update, Navy officials noted “smartwatches and fitness trackers are subject to applicable security regulations.”

“We cannot comment on specific security procedures and protocols, but our policy ensures sailors know that security regulations take precedence over this uniform policy that allows [them] to wear this type of technology,” Callaghan said. “It is important to note that we have established the uniform policy to ensure a professional and uniform appearance, while maximizing a sailor’s opportunity to choose wearable technology as they see fit.”

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.