Question. Is the U.S. Military getting too fat?

I was looking at some photos, including those that have been shown on TV nightly if you know what I mean, and some of the soldiers in them are downright fat.

Actually, I'm seeing a lot of it. Not just big guys from working out. Big guys with big beer guts.

Is this a problem? How long has it been one and are there any fighting forces in history that have had a battle of the bulge?

Isn't there enough PT anymore?

Steve

i have noticed this also,

one thing that i also noticed was the number of US troops who wear glasses, this seems unusual to me as british recruits are often turned down on grounds of poor eyesight.

cheers

joe

Eyesight is not a factor. Well, it depends on there job speciality.

As far as PT is concerned, as for the Guard, we incourged to do PT on our own time, you know what that means. Its hard to have a good PT regiment when you only get to work one weekend a month. Back when I was on active duty, we did PT 3 days a week. If a soldier is deemed over weight, he is placed on remideal PT. Then again some units are more hard core than others.

I think it's not wartime. So they enjoy their years. Ofcourse non-physically fit soldiers wouldn't be allowed to go to war (I guess)

There are a good number of fat boys and girls in the reserve components, and even some fat generals on active duty :-) As stated above, reservists, including guardsmen have to maintain their fitness on their own time, where as the active military gets time during the normal duty day.

Until just recently, the US Army Reserve was more concerned with total troop strenght and so quality, as far as health and physical fitness has slipped. With recent lessons-learned from Iraq, where reservists and guardsmen were having heart attacks, strokes, etc., in the 145-degree heat, slackards are being put out of the service. They have now realized that quality is more important than quantity, especially if the quantity will be culled out at the mobilization and spend the war being medically processed!!!

I'm lucky, since I work full-time for the Army Reserve I get time at work for fitness training and we have a gym to boot.

In my day, as a reservist, we were required to maintain the proper weight level and pass the annual PT test. At first, when you were over 40, you got exempt, but they would then give you a physical which then released you to take the PT test. I don't know if this was the 80's or just our unit

In the 80's we had Company level PT 5 days a week. in the mid 90's we went to platoon or squad level PT 2 of those days. If you were overweight you were put on the overweight program and if you failed to lose so much weight a month you were discharged from service. If you failed a PT test you were put on remedial PT and given the test again and were discharged from service if you failed so 2-3 times (generally). Some of the overweight guys could get 100% on the 3 events for the PT test and were still put out.
brian

Interesting question. I retired about five years ago and still get up to do my five miles at 0430 every morning. My point-- you can do anything you want to, if you really want to do it. The next point I would ask you to consider is that we have a strata in the Army. On the first tier are the SF/Ranger guys, next comes the combat arms fellows then the combat service and combat support folks. Each level has motivated, focused leaders. Each level has leaders who are not so focused and motivated. Physical training is a team builder in addition to an individual conditioner. If you have the right leader in place, regardless of tier level, Soldiers become a better team of conditioned people with the right people in charge. Armor Magazine has an article in it about a squadron who did PT in Iraq. Back to my original point-- if you want to do it, you can do it.....
DJ

My brigade commander is currently the Collalition Forces Surgeon (he was moblized individually to go with a different Medical brigade) and he passed back the word about results of poor fitness.

When I was on active duty we had time during duty hours for PT and cleanup. Initially, as a reservist I had to make time after work for my PT - I am not a morning person, unless it is group PT! In the last 8-10 years the US Army Reserve Command directed that the Military Technicians (civilian employees that must maintain active reserve status) will be allowed one hour a day, three days a week, during duty hours for PT. That makes it a lot easier for us. I can no longer run due to tendonitis in my ankle, caused by wearing Cochrane jump boots, but I still walk three times a week for 3-4 miles to burn calories.

I went to Air Assualt School at Ft. Campbell at age 39. I'll tell you that I increased my fitness training, to include a once-a-week 10 km run, starting in January for a May class date. Even with a six-day a week training program (alternating between anaerobic strength training and aerobic training) I was still sucking wind after the first three days - then I gat a weekend off for recovery. The older you get the slower your body recovers from physical stress.

That is why fitness is so important for reservists, as they tend, on average to be older than active duty soldiers. In the 140+ degree heat in Iraq, it really shows. Everyone I have met returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, that was in a combat area lost there fat! Only those in places like Abu Gharieb Prison or in Kuwait and Qatar staid realtively the same.

My wife just refuses to understand why I work out 5-6 days a week. She thinks I trying to look good for the other woman! I'd just like to live into my late 80s, early 90s like my grandad!. Got to be healthy for that!!

Yet another reason I'm glad I got out after 8 years: PT runs!!

I never, ever enjoyed running in the Army. Never!! I liked the up and down thingies and got good at them although my pecs were huge but I smoked and when you smoke and you run, bad things happen.

My last unit in the Army was in the 101st Airborne Air Assault and my Company Commander loved to do the super big runs and road marching. Ah, story for another time...

Need a beer.