Navy personnel worried about not being able to check their heart rate at a moment’s notice, or losing track of calories burned during their workday can breath a sigh of relief.

A recent memo from  Vice Adm. Ted Branch, deputy chief of Naval Operations, Information Dominance, advised sailors and seamen they may wear a fitness device “in all Navy spaces where collateral classified information and controlled unclassified information is processed, stored, or discussed.”

These devices include ones such as the Fitbit, Jawbone Up and Nike Fuel Band, the memo stated.

In an email to Federal News Radio, Janice Haith, the deputy chief information officer of the Navy Department, said the revision is the result of questions from workers who were curious about wearing the monitors in secure spaces.

“We can’t speak for other services or agencies, but within the Navy, we saw it as an opportunity to help our people (military and civilian) manage and monitor the activities which support their health and wellness routines,” Haith said.

The devices have been popular not only with health nuts and active exercisers, but fashion and gadget followers who’ve been eager to be seen sporting one of the trendy wristbands.

While earlier models could only count steps or monitor sleep, advancements in the technology have added calories burned, heart rate monitors, GPS and communication between devices.

Haith said the Navy’s list will be adjusted as the technology advances and cyber threats evolve.

“We try to stay on top of technology trends and always look at those with the idea of measuring security versus acceptable risk,” Haith said. “Our objective is to support the morale and welfare of our workforce, while maintaining security.”

The authorization applies only to Navy personnel and prohibits gadgets such as the Apple Watch, which have cellular or Wi-Fi capabilities, and recording devices.

According to the Navy’s memo, devices are permitted:

• If commercially available in the United States or through a U.S. military exchange, marketed primarily as fitness or sleep devices, and designated as Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Class B digital devices (denoted as FCC Class B certified, or FCC Class B exempt).

• If they have Bluetooth, GPS (receive only), accelerometer, altimeter, gyroscope, heart activity, vibration feature or near field communication capabilities.

Devices are prohibited:

• If they contain any external or conflicting hardware or software modifications, including the installation of third party apps. If they contain cellular or Wi-Fi, photographic, video capture/recording, microphone, or audio recording capabilities.

• In conjunction with USB accessories, including but not limited to Bluetooth dongles and charging cables. From being connected to any government information systems.

An email from Army spokeswoman Tatjana Christian said wearing items such as a Fitbit “would be governed by AR 670-1 and would be no different than wearing a bracelet or watch.”

Because of its technology, however, the device might be off limits in certain areas, similar to how cell phones and other electronic gadgets are prohibited from some spaces, Christian said.

The Air Force and Coast Guard did not respond immediately to  a request for comment.

A spokesman for the Marines could not say whether there was a comprehensive policy specifically for personal wearable devices, but the service does issue warnings when a new device is released, so that personnel can make an informed decision on whether or not to wear the device to work, or be prepared to take it off in a secure area.

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