September 1, 2010 10:56 AM

Army Fitness: Unfit Recruits "Too Fat to Fight" Force Army to Ease Training

By
David W Freeman
Topics
News ,
Fitness

army, generic, soldier, woman, punch

Are new Army recruits too fat to fight? (istcockphoto)


(CBS) "Army Strong" may be the recruiting slogan, but these days the U.S. Army seems less focused on new recruits' strength than on their excess weight.

In fact, the Army has just rejiggered its basic physical training program, making allowances for recruits who are fat and out of shape when they show up for basic training.

Sit-ups and long runs are out, reports the New York Times. In their place are exercises that look a lot like yoga and pilates.

"What we were finding was that the soldiers we're getting in today's Army are not in as good shape as they used to be," said Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, who oversees basic training for the Army, told the Times.

The new fitness regimen was rolled out this year at the Army's five basic training posts, which collectively handle about 145,000 recruits a year, according to the paper.

The Army has long rejected potential recruits who are overweight. But the number of potential recruits deemed too fat to fight has been growing in recent years, the result of America's obesity epidemic, says the Times.

Between 1995 and 2008, the proportion of potential recruits who failed their physicals each year because they were overweight rose nearly 70 percent, according to a recent report issued by a blue-ribbon panel of retired generals and admirals.

The report found that 27 percent of young adults between the ages of 17 and 24 were too fat for military service, according to Scripps News.

Even those the Army deems slim enough to serve tend to be weaker and to have less stamina than recruits of previous generations - the result of years spent indulging in junk food and video games, according to Army officials who spoke with the Times.

"Kids are just not able to do push-ups," Curt Gilroy, the Pentagon's director of accessions, told the Army Times last year. "And they can't do pull-ups. And they can't run."

Can they defend us?

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Add a Comment
by rf35 September 2, 2010 6:16 AM EDT
Un-effing-believable.
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by wallygeez September 1, 2010 7:14 PM EDT
Amazing: we've become so politically correct, that instead of calling the FAT folks what they are, self-inflicted obese invalids that can't function as needed, we actually CHANGE our standards (lower) to fit their level. We're doomed - the world will eventually walk all over our ass and laugh along the way!
Reply to this comment
by patillac September 1, 2010 3:59 PM EDT
Socialism is crap. Everyone should be treated based on their merits, not forced to bottom feed because of the weaklings. They did it to our public schools 50 years ago and now as a result of our dumbing down, physically unfit morons are forced to sign up so they don't have to go through the hassle of trying to collect welfare.
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by ouchitatom September 2, 2010 5:01 AM EDT
Jungle warfare for liberating tanzania was a forced march 7 miles of jungle and back before lunch in 112 heat with 85 and up humidity.The modern recruit can't walk seven miles and back before lunch.
by bostonmums January 5, 2011 10:18 PM EST
LOL, you kind of don't understand socialism. In socialist countries, most jobs ARE gotten by merit--just through exams etc. Socialism is many things; PC it ain't! In socialism, there's none of this crap about giving the unfit a chance. That's why the countries like China, Russia (and USSR before), and even tiny Cuba produce such large numbers of high-quality athletes, scientists, doctors, etc. All children are tested for ability. It's pretty ruthless, actually. Four years old and got talent? Great, we're taking your kid to study/practice 12-hours per day, 6-days per week, for the next dozen years. You can see each other in the summer or on birthdays. How do you think China turns out Olympic gold medalists who are routinely cheating by being TOO YOUNG?? Freaking 12-years old gymnasts who whip the pants off of American athletes who have 50% more training years under their belts than the Chinese. I'm a small business owner. I have no desire to live under socialism. But believe me, if we did, we wouldn't have 50% of kids semi-illiterate in 8th grade, an army embarrassed by 30% fatties. Socialism is about the rights of the group being greater than the rights of the individual. That means that you, as an individual in a socialist country, "owe" the group whatever you've got. Your talent, just like the fruit of your labor, doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the group. You don't get to decide for yourself. In our society, we value the right of individual self-determination. That means we can't really do much about it when 65% of our people (as of 2010) decide they just don't give a crud about their health and their own bodies, and are content to be obese or overweight (yep, 65%) and pathetically ignorant about general knowledge, while the fallout of their choices and their disease drives all of us into national bankruptcy. Like I said, I don't want to live under socialism, but at this point I think I'm just as disgusted by us as I could be by another system. And I have a leg to stand on. I paid for my own college education (took me 7-years working F/T and studying P/T), I read news every day and try to read a book a month. I'm just as busy as anyone. I have a family and a business to take care of. But I'm not going to let myself go. I'm 5'5 and 115-lbs., not because I'm lucky but because I do not eat like a pig. In fact I have a box of Russel Stover on the table in front of me right now. I got it on New Year's Eve and there are 5 chocolates eaten so far. I get sick to my stomach just seeing what my compatriots have in their shopping carts. Our country is turning into such an embarrassing joke.
by patillac September 1, 2010 3:55 PM EDT
First off, they are gullible enough to fall for the "fight for freedom" schtick (I thought we were already free), too dumb to go to the Navy or Air Force, and to cap it off they are also physically unable to perform the duties required of a soldier- resulting in a weaker soldier across the board. Sounds like China's dream come true. 100 million little lean fighting machines vs. 500,000 putty butts.
Reply to this comment
by Russ7R September 1, 2010 11:41 AM EDT
This is just sad, if they are too fat they dont serve, why are we letting them in, if they do than make them work it off.
When I served (89-95) I seen many people overweight in basic, they were pulled and put in a special program until they lost weight and could pass the PT test.
The biggest problem I see with this your life depends on these troops...so dont change the standards. I dont want to have to hear about some fat butt getting shot up because he/she couldnt run fast enough to get "clear", or expect me/someone else to carry/drag them to cover!
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by paulette531 September 1, 2010 11:38 AM EDT
Big surprise there...not only are they unfit they are uneducated and think the world owes them...talk about a lost generation!
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