If you fail the Height Weight standard, bad things can happen to you. You can get discharged from the military, FLAGGED, your bonus can be recouped, and you can even miss out on schools and promotions. I don't want this to happen you. Obviously, you need to be proactive and stay in shape.
In most cases, failing to pass the Army's minimum weight or body-fat percentage standards will make you ineligible for promotion, transfer, reenlistment or opportunities to attend professional schools. View the current AWCP height for weight chart.
per month until meeting the height and weight or body fat percentage tolerance) or s/he will be separated from the Army. If the Soldier fails to adhere to the height/weight/body fat percentage standards after completing the ABCP and is enrolled within 36 months, they also face separation.
Not only are active-duty and reserve members getting kicked out for failing fitness and body-fat standards, but for the first time in history, the number one reason for recruits not being able to join the military is failing height, weight and body-fat standards.
All Soldiers will be weighed every 6 months, at a minimum. In order to ensure the ABCP does not interfere with Soldier performance on the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), commanders and supervisors are encouraged to allow a minimum of 7 days between APFT and weigh-in, if feasible.
You can still serve the U.S. Armed Forces if you are obese by receiving a medical waiver. Approximately 20% of new recruits need a waiver for their weight to attend boot camp. However, those that receive a waiver must lose weight and reach minimum requirements prior to the end of boot camp to continue training.
Look across any USAR or ARNG unit and you will typically find that at least 10 percent of the Soldiers fail their Height Weight standards. In some units it's even worse. And there are many overweight Soldier that barely pass the Height Weight test and are very close to failing.
Getting a Job With a General Discharge
In reality, a less-than-honorable discharge can happen because someone is overweight or falls below military fitness standards. An other-than-honorable discharge may be for reasons civilian employers wouldn't consider career killers, such as adultery or fraternization.
For entry, acceptable height is in the range of 58 to 80 inches (147-203 centimeters), while weight-based on height limits between 131 and 250 pounds (59 to 113 kilograms).
In August 2021, the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals held that veterans may claim obesity as a service connected disability for VA benefits, as long as the obesity impairs the veteran's earning capacity.
The weight standards are about your height and gender. For example, if you're 60 inches tall and a male, you must be 141lb maximum. If you're 70 inches and a female, you cannot weigh more than 177lb. The weight range is from 127lb to 241lb but depends on your height and age.
To get out of the military, you need to be discharged.
Unlike many other positions, you cannot simply just quit the military once you are on active duty. You may choose to finish out a contract and then not renew, or you can get an early discharge if you do not want to wait or cannot wait for a contract to end.
Changes in total body weight vary for men and women. Men often gain weight until about age 55, and then begin to lose weight later in life. This may be related to a drop in the male sex hormone testosterone. Women usually gain weight until age 65, and then begin to lose weight.
But there is one more thing that determines your weight loss process: Your height. That might come as a surprise to many, but it is true. For shorter people, losing weight is much more difficult than taller ones.
It's staggering to find out, then, that the overwhelming majority of diets end in failure. Depending on the numbers and source, either one-third of dieters return to their old weight, or as many as 65% do.
You also cannot be any taller than 6'8” (80 inches). Similarly, if you weigh any more than 250 lbs, you won't be able to join. The minimum weight requirement is 91 lbs. It's important to note that the Air Force requirements are contingent on your body mass index (BMI).
The maximum allowable BMI for entry to the Air Force is 32.9 (29.9 for Pilots). BMIs of less than 18.5 are considered too low as they present a risk of injury during training. Your BMI will be measured on Assessment Day and again on the day of entry to the Air Force.
A study of the force, which included 2,690 troops, found that the tape test is not a perfect science and roughly 35% of tape tests failed to accurately measure whether a soldier is in compliance with Army body fat standards.
It can only be handed down to a military member by a general court-martial. Dishonorable discharges are rendered by conviction from a general court-martial for extreme offenses (e.g., treason, espionage, desertion, sexual assault, or murder).
The consequences from a dishonorable discharge include:
Lose civilian rights, such as the right to bear arms, Disqualified from federal employment, May not qualify for civilian government benefits (unemployment, federal student loans, etc.).
In some cases, depression is debilitating enough to lead to a military discharge. However, while many types of depression are typically treatable, this is not the case for everyone. Therefore, even treatable depression could lead to a medical discharge for depression if the symptoms continue for a long period of time.
The US Army is using a "fat camp" to help address its most severe recruiting crisis since the end of conscription 50 years ago.
A general discharge can be completed in as little as 30 days but could take up to six months. Separation from the military can take longer than six months. It's vital that you don't procrastinate on starting the process. Separation starts with getting command approval.