Objective To investigate the health literacy of naval officers and soldiers, so as to provide a reference for the development of health education and health promotion policies and measures for this population. Methods The health literacy of naval officers and soldiers was measured using the Chinese residents’ health literacy questionnaire (2018). Results The health literacy level of naval officers and soldiers has met the target set by the Healthy China 2030 development plan. The order of health literacy compliance rate in 3 aspects from high to low was “healthy lifestyle and behaviors”, “basic health knowledge and concepts”, and “essential health skills”. The 6 types of problems of health literacy from high to low was “safety and first aid”, “scientific health perspectives”, “infectious disease prevention”, “health information”, “basic medical care”, and “chronic disease prevention”. Conclusion The overall health literacy level of naval officers and soldiers is good; the “safety and first aid” literacy has obvious advantages. It is recommended to implement continuous dynamic monitoring of health literacy, develop a targeted curriculum system to enhance health management capabilities, improve the health management ability of officers and soldiers, and further enhance the combat effectiveness.