PULHES Factor

United States military acronym

PULHES is a United States military acronym used in the Military Physical Profile Serial System. It is used to qualify an enlistee's physical profile for each military skill. Each letter in the acronym (see box below) is paired with a number from 1 to 4 to designate the service member's physical capacity. For instance, the MOS 19D Cavalry Scout requires a physical profile of 111121 or better, indicating that the service member may wear glasses (a "2" in the E category) but otherwise must have no medical, physical, or psychiatric limitations.

These definitions appear to differ somewhat between branches of the military. In general, the categories are the same but criteria for the numerical designators may differ. For Army definitions, see AR 40 501, Table 7 1. The below definitions are derived from Air Force Instruction 48 123 Medical Examinations and Standards "Table 1.1. Physical Profile Serial Chart." and Attachment 3 "HEARING PROFILE".''

P 1. Free of any identified organic defect or systemic disease. P 2. Presence of stable, minimally significant organic defect(s) or systemic diseases(s). Capable of all basic work commensurate with grade and position. May be used to identify minor conditions that might limit some deployments to specific locations (i. e. G6PD deficiency). P 3. Significant defect(s) or disease(s) are under good control. Capable of all basic work commensurate with grade and position. P 4. Organic defect(s), systemic and infectious disease(s) which have already undergone an MEB (Medical Evaluation Board).

U 1. Bones, joints, and muscles normal. Able to do hand to hand fighting. U 2. Slightly limited mobility of joints, mild muscular weakness or other musculoskeletal defects that do not prevent hand to hand fighting and are compatible with prolonged effort. Capable of all basic work commensurate with grade and position. U 3. Defect(s) causing moderate interference with function, yet capable of strong effort for short periods. Capable of all basic work commensurate with grade and position. U 4. Strength, range of motion, and general efficiency of hand, arm, shoulder girdle, and back, includes cervical and thoracic spine severely compromised which has already undergone an MEB (Medical Evaluation Board).

L 1. Bones, muscles, and joints normal. Capable of performing long marches, continuous standing, running, climbing, and digging without limitation. L 2. Slightly limited mobility of joints, mild muscular weakness, or other musculoskeletal defects that do not prevent moderate marching, climbing, digging, or prolonged effort. Capable of all basic work commensurate with grade and position. L 3. Defect(s) causing moderate interference with function, yet capable of strong effort for short periods. Capable of all basic work commensurate with grade and position. L 4. Strength, range of movement, and efficiency of feet, legs, pelvic girdle, lower back, and lumbar vertebrae severely compromised which has already undergone an MEB (Medical Evaluation Board).

E 1. Uncorrected visual acuity 20/200 correctable to 20/20 in each eye. E 2. Distant visual acuity correctable to not worse than 20/40 in one eye and 20/70 in the other, or 20/30 in one eye and 20/100 in the other eye, or 20/20 in one eye and 20/400 in the other eye. E 3. Uncorrected distant visual acuity of any degree that is correctable not less than 20/40 in the better eye. E 4. Visual defects worse than E 3 which has already undergone an MEB or ALC fast track as determined by the DAWG.

S 1. Diagnosis or treatment results in no impairment or potential impairment of duty function, risk to the mission or ability to maintain security clearance. S 2. World Wide Qualified and diagnosis or treatment results in low risk of impairment or potential impairment that necessitates command consideration of changing or limiting duties. S 3. World Wide Qualified and diagnosis or treatment results in high risk due to potential impairment of duty function, risk to the mission or ability to maintain security clearance. S 4. Diagnosis or treatment results in high to extremely high risk to the military or patient due to potential impairment of duty function, risk to the mission or ability to maintain security clearance and which has already undergone an MEB (Medical Evaluation Board).