Objective To find out about the self-rated health status of soldiers at the grass-roots level.Methods A total of 266 soldiers were surveyed using a self-designed questionnaire in May 2015. Participants filled out the questionnaires on their own.Results The average age and the standard deviation of age of the subjects were 22.39 and 3.03 years respectively. A total of 138 soldiers (53.7%) rated their health status as good, and 28 soldiers (15.73%) were satisfied with their health status. 146 soldiers (57.25%) considered themselves mentally sound. The percentage of soldiers who felt unwell during the two weeks before the investigation was 56.86%, and 24.8% of the soldiers reported chronic diseases in the previous six months. Discomfort over the previous two weeks and chronic diseases were related to the overall health status (P<0.05).Conclusions The self-rated health status of soldiers is relatively good, and diseases have effect on their health. The overall health status of soldiers can be improved by strengthening disease prevention and health education.