0
airdvr

Enlistment and weight requirements

Recommended Posts

My son is seriously considering the armed forces. I heard through 2nd hand sources that they have a ht/wt requirement and if they accept you when you don't meet this requirement you'll be tagged as having a problem. True?
Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
In short, yes. However, my husband was a drill sgt for the Army the last 2 years, and I saw many young men that did not appear to meet this standard when they first arrived. He may want to contact a local recruiter for more details.

Fitness to join: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armyjoin/l/blintweightmale.htm

Fitness level that is to be maintained: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/l/blmaleweight.htm

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Kinda interesting how there is such a variation in what the different branches find acceptable. For my height, the army, navy or air force would take me at a max of 212, 221, or 225 lbs. However, the marines would still take me at 261. FWIW, I'm within the range for all branches but I'm not in the military.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
That's cause the Marines guarantee that they will work it off you.
1975 18 year old me 260 lbs. had to lose 30 lbs before they would accept me into boot camp. Started at 229 graduated 13 weeks later at 215. Not an ounce of fat on me. My time in the Corp. I hovered around 225.
Infantry, not a Remington raider. But according to the charts I should have been under 189.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I started at 132lbs (60kg) and finished at 149 (68kg), with still no fat (or not much). I am now around 165 (75kg) +-a couple (more + than -), and I got my baby-fat back :)
Yeah a couple of years ago I was skin+bones only... So skinny I was single sided. Now I am 3D :)

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

My son is seriously considering the armed forces. I heard through 2nd hand sources that they have a ht/wt requirement and if they accept you when you don't meet this requirement you'll be tagged as having a problem. True?



Thats Bigotry, we must stop it, it is no ones business if they are too heavy to serve!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Quote

Thanks for the links.

What I'm trying to find out about is if anyone has any experience as being accepted but 'tagged' as someone who has an issue.



Oh just get him in.. the fat farm will take care of any issues;)


My thoughts exactly but the ex has some concerns. He's already flushed out of Akron U so it's time to meet your uncle. ...or I hear McD's is hiring.:P
Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Unless things have changed since I joined (1989). They will not let him in if he doesnt meet the standard. I had one of my best friends have his entry date delayed because he was overweight.

I did see fat boys in basic though. They were not happy campers for sure. Drill Sgts. used to take food off their plates and give it to the skinny folks. Some that didnt lose weight ended up in a special platoon where all the basically did was work out. They either got into shape or where shipped home.

His best bet is to lose the wieght now. It is no fun being fat and out of shape in basic training.
Dom


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Unless things have changed since I joined (1989). They will not let him in if he doesnt meet the standard. I had one of my best friends have his entry date delayed because he was overweight.

I did see fat boys in basic though. They were not happy campers for sure. Drill Sgts. used to take food off their plates and give it to the skinny folks. Some that didnt lose weight ended up in a special platoon where all the basically did was work out. They either got into shape or where shipped home.

His best bet is to lose the wieght now. It is no fun being fat and out of shape in basic training.



Yeah....

BUT

They have far more help shedding those pounds there when they just can't leave theior workout and head to MikeyD's to re-supersize themselves.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

They have far more help shedding those pounds there when they just can't leave theior workout and head to MikeyD's to re-supersize themselves



True enough. I just remember watching some of those dudes look like they wanted to kill themselves. I dont mean that in the normal..."Oh Shit! Im in basic training!" kinda of wanting to kill yourself. These dudes really wanted to.

Plus they start off on the overweight program and once on that. You only get one more chance before you are booted out for getting big again.
Dom


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
They have standards. In Marine boot camp, if you couldn't pass the minimum physical exercise standards, for pull-ups, sit-ups and running, then you were placed into a special platoon that did nothing but exercise their butts off all day, and fed a special diet. Once they could pass the minimums, then they were placed back into an entry boot camp platoon again to start regular training. Thus, their boot camp experience was extended compared to the normal time period.

And once graduated, there are continuing physical exercise standards that must be met. If you fail to pass them, once again you go to remedial training until you can pass again. If you reach a point where you just can't pass, then you're kicked out.

So, as far as being "tagged as an issue", there really weren't any, because *everyone* was physically fit. You either are fit, or you aren't a Marine. And if your son can't make that commitment and standard, then he shouldn't try to enlist.

Tough? Yes. But necessary to maintain combat readiness.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Quote

They have far more help shedding those pounds there when they just can't leave theior workout and head to MikeyD's to re-supersize themselves



True enough. I just remember watching some of those dudes look like they wanted to kill themselves. I dont mean that in the normal..."Oh Shit! Im in basic training!" kinda of wanting to kill yourself. These dudes really wanted to.

Plus they start off on the overweight program and once on that. You only get one more chance before you are booted out for getting big again.



Its all about choices.




I was the exact opposite when I went in.. I was really tall and skinny but I was still very athletic since I had competed in track and swimming as a teen. I gained weight and muscle mass that I had not had before, but that was because I worked at it and built a fair amount of upper body strength.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
my time in i hovered at around 185 at 68" in the Marines...these charts are the worst idea ever b/c they do not take into account muscle. my friend who was at the gym EVERY day and weighed about 250 and had maybe 10% body fat was on fat boy PT program....
IHYD

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
When they started this body mass index shit I was nearly thrown out.

I had a 28" waist and they were calling me overweight.

Yeah, but when someone had to carry the pig guess who got it?

Fuckers...no wonder I volunteered in order to get out of there.

If I had stayed one more month I would have lost my mind.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Unless things have changed since I joined (1989). They will not let him in if he doesnt meet the standard. I had one of my best friends have his entry date delayed because he was overweight.

I did see fat boys in basic though. They were not happy campers for sure. Drill Sgts. used to take food off their plates and give it to the skinny folks. Some that didnt lose weight ended up in a special platoon where all the basically did was work out. They either got into shape or where shipped home.

His best bet is to lose the wieght now. It is no fun being fat and out of shape in basic training.


When I was thinking of enlisting, they did the same height/weight requirements, and for a 5'8" female, I was about 15 pounds too heavy. HOWEVER, because of my degrees and licenses, they were going to work with me.
If you disbelieve everything because we cannot certainly know all things, we shall do much-what as wisely as he would not use his legs, but sit still and perish because he had no wings to fly.-JL

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

My son is seriously considering the armed forces. I heard through 2nd hand sources that they have a ht/wt requirement and if they accept you when you don't meet this requirement you'll be tagged as having a problem. True?



I am currently still in the Navy. I am 6' 0" and 220. The height weight scale says I'm supposed to be 201. How is that you ask? They take measurements around the neck and waist every 6 months to get a body fat percentage to make I'm not "fat".

Have you ever seen the guys that play for the Army/Navy football teams? They do the same thing for them.

The question is, is he fat or muscular? Talk to a recruiter about the other options for height/weight. We needed big bubba's to carry the gear;)
"There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
Life, the Universe, and Everything

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Yes lose wt and get in shape before you go in. I also would have done 2 things different, At least going into the Marines, I would have shaved my head, to save myself from a very painful haircut, and not gone to Parris Island in the summer. God awful hot!!!!!!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
It's called eating until I was ready to puke, and extremely hard work.

Coupled with me getting a little older.


Don't believe me, there are jumpers who knew me when I was 40 and had a 30" waist at that weight.

What can I say? I worked hard for it.

There weren't steroids available or anything other than vitamins, I lived on base.

Risk of a court martial was not something I was willing to take.

But now I am old, hurting and fat...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0