Reader comments
Army eases weight rules for recruits

Anonymous | 9:14 a.m. Jan. 5, 2009

Joining the army is a great way to go on a mission and serve your nation.

Anonymous | 1:22 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009

WORD MY BROTHER WORD

RiotGrrl | 1:31 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009

Okay so they're trying to recruit the "football player" types, the atheletes, who probably already have scholarships and have little interest or need to join the Army.

Comments continue below

Anonymous | 1:52 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009

The Guard and Reserve already have a problem with soldiers meeting weight standards. This is likely goign to get out of control. Hopefully bringing more people in, even if they're fatties, will give commanders the flexibility they need to kick people out who year after year fail to meet weight and fitness standards rather than just keeping them in because they need the numbers.

Anonymous | 1:53 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009

Joining the Army is a great way to get killed on a mission and serve your politicians.

Dewey Oxberger | 1:53 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009

And just think; after eight weeks of basic training, you'll be a lean, mean fighting machine.

Drill Sergeant | 2:46 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009

What is you major malfunction, Private Pyle?

Anonymous | 2:53 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009

My brother - Q: what is the word? A: Thunderbird.

Anonymous | 2:58 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009

They need to stop using the BMI to determine these things. If you are in the army and are a huge musclebound american gladiators looking guy the army calls you fat and makes you work out so you will lose weight.

BotchedExperiment | 4:20 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009

I don't see any horns on you, boy.

Ed Clinch | 10:18 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009

It's an honor to serve your nation, if you are American, Canadian, Mexican or Cuban.

Are you grateful to serve?

I am.

Specialist Clinch

PS: And I made my weight last Saturday after the holidays!

Bill Smith | 7:06 a.m. Jan. 6, 2009

And this is something new? You don't have to even pass the APFT until you get to your first duty station.

Inside Knowledge | 8:24 a.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Actually you can be muscle bound and still make weight. If you don't meet your table weight, they tape you and figure out your body fat and if you are below the percentage for your age you are treated just the same as someone that passed table weight.

re: anonymous | 8:30 a.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Haven't you heard? The bird is the word.

Anonymous | 9:12 a.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Q: What's the Word?

A: Thunderbird

Q: What's the Price?

A: Sixty Twice!!

A New Recruit | 9:17 a.m. Jan. 6, 2009

****
Anonymous | 2:53 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009
My brother - Q: what is the word? A: Thunderbird.
****

You just quoted a malt liquor ad, you silly tosser.
"What's the word, Thunderbird. How's it sold, good and cold. What's the price, 30 twice."

ON the subject, I'm planning on joining the Army in 2 months AFTER I lose 4.5 more pounds to meet my maximum allowable weight.

Shouldnt surprise anyone... | 10:00 a.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Really. Look around your work place. I bet you can't walk 10 feet with out walking into someone overweight. It disgusts me. I work out and value my health and body. How people can be so lazy is ludicris and to let thier children get this way is even worse. Obesity the downfall of man.

Dont wanna be a cow | 10:24 a.m. Jan. 6, 2009

I think the need for more cattle to lead to slaughter is the real reason the waiver is in place.
Come on lil doggies, cant you see we got ourselves a war to win. Head em up,move em out, pick it up!! RAWHIDE!! Yee haaa!!

I'm staying on the Group B bench: Arlo Guthries' "Alice's resturant"

To "Dont wanna be a cow" | 11:02 a.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Military service is voluntary. It wasn't voluntary in Guthrie's day.

Arlo Guthries' probably a socialist. Go ahead, stay with group B... you complacent slacker.

Tony | 12:59 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Get it right. It's the Group W bench. DUH.

awsomeron | 4:20 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Thin does not mean fit. Fat does not mean either lazy or cannot do. Except for fitting into small spaces, and riding race horses.

The Military became obsessed with weight to body type and Fat Ratio (Pinch an Inch), in the early 70's, about the time they came up with up or out. Which put undue pressure on people to sweat making rank even if they liked their lower ranking job. (E-5 Dispatcher had to become E-6 Motor Pool Sgt). Then liking your job in the Army was not essential. You where a lifer and if you didnï¿½t make your 20 the tax payers saved money.

Cat 4's would serve one enlistment but if they wanted to stay in they had to get a GED.

Obese even slightly Obese People do not look Sharp, looking Sharp is a Major thing.

The cure for an Obese Army is a DRAFT.

It is nice the Overweight want to serve and some will find the Motivation to lose weight. Or else is sometimes a good motivator.

Some people can be very fit and will never meet the body type standards.

Waivers are sometimes a way of life in the Military as are Profiles.

John D | 1:55 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Back in the early 80's I served with a competition body builder. He was fighting being discharged for not meeting the weight standard.

A good idea will not survive after being interpreted by the military bureaucracy.

Other retirees have flashbacks to combat. I have flashback to dealing with the bureaucracy. Maybe I should apply for a PTSD disablity.

Pazuzu | 9:52 p.m. Jan. 11, 2009

Lucky for all of us, we still have the Marines!

Simonblackfell | 1:05 p.m. Jan. 14, 2009

Really they are looking to find a way to get the guys in that have no necks but weigh much much more than weight standard says they can.

Mike Harrison | 1:17 a.m. Feb. 5, 2009

I'm fat. I am 6'2 and 395lbs I am 24yrs old, its all in the stomach too. I want to join the Army and serve my country and better myself, I intend to lose weight and meet my Long term goal to join the Army. I have to work out and eat right these are the things I need to do. I've had lots of friends and people I've known go into the military and better themselves a few didnt come back.

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