This paper examines the Department of the Army's (DA) audiometric follow‐up program subsequent to identifying standard threshold shift (STS). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's current policy has provisions for one optional follow‐up audiometric test to be completed within 30 days of identifying an STS. Current DA policy requires two follow‐up audiometric tests to be conducted within 60 days of identifying the STS. Successes and failures of the DA policy are presented and discussed using 387 000 annual and follow‐up audiograms obtained on noise‐exposed civilians and soldiers and entered into the Hearing Evaluations Automated Registry System (HEARS) audiometric database. Program participation rates, elapsed time for completion of the follow‐up audiograms, and noted changes in STS identified in the follow‐up will be presented. The results have implications for hearing conservation policy decisions on follow‐up audiometric requirements.