Fat troops on the street....

[y2kroachman]

dont judge a person because they are fat, i had a mcpl(regular) in the cadets once and he was really really big, but he was strong as an ox and could pull his own weight more than enough, some people are fat by genetics so dont judge everyone

 

[Infanteer]

Don‘t mistake "big" with "fat". I‘m a big guy, 6‘3 and 220 pounds (according to that ridiculous BMI chart recruiting uses I‘m overweight with health problems) but I‘ve never used it as an excuse. I‘ve never fallen out and have usually picked up the load of weaker troops (re: "here, take the Carl G...") If you doubt me, I‘d be happy to show your my UERs.

There are plenty of little, weak weasels in the Forces as well. Targeting fat people isn‘t the issue, targeting people grossly out of shape (Which is probably 95% of fat people anyways) is what we are doing. If your going to give these people the benefit of the doubt, I‘ll bet you money on their ability to do 13km in under 2 hours (Basic BFT requirement).

 

[fleeingjam]

Hey infrateer arent you a refrigirator technician?

 

[rdschultz]

BMI is a freaking joke. I started weight training fairly heavily for a couple months, put on 10-15 pounds of muscle. I‘m a relatively skinny dude, and after that training was done I was listed as overweight on all the BMI charts I checked (190lbs, 6‘). Nobody with a sane mind would ever, and I mean ever, call me overweight. It basically only applies to the average sedentary human being with no muscle mass to speak of.

corporal-cam: The photos you list as ‘could be worse‘, I think, were basically just highlighting the fact that they purchasing or had purchased fast food. With an implied causal relationship between fast food and overweightness.

y2k: Using genetics as an excuse is a poor excuse. Or blaming obesity on glandular problems. Its true, it is a valid reason for some people, but its often overused as an excuse, and its not really the problem for a lot of the people who use it. My genes make me a pretty skinny guy, and I have to work like **** to put muscle on. I can still do it, and those people can get into good/better physical shape. Genes don‘t make you shovel 4000 calories per meal into your mouth, nor do they "put butter in your coffee".

 

[Infanteer]

Hey infrateer arent you a refrigirator technician?

That‘s what I mean. Me and my fire-team partner have to break the fridge down for ruck-marches, and he is weak, so I end up carrying the entire fridge for 13km. Dude, you should go Fridge Tech as well, we need another hardcore troop to haul the fridge with the grunts.

 

[D-n-A]

Man I wish I was hardcore enough to join the elite ranks of the fridge techs.

 

[Spr.Earl]

I was there but remustered,I don‘t like the cold.

 

[John Long]

I love both of you.

 

[Playtime_805]

In regards to the BFT. Almost anyone can do it. It isn‘t very physical at all, but more of a mental test. I am a trucker in the reserves and I admit I am not in the shape that I should be. I don‘t like to run, mostly cause I can‘t go to far with out having a smoke or dying. That being said, I did a BFT this past November with reg. force MP‘s and Base Ops. I had no work up training at all (in fact I got drunk the night before). Yet I finished it with time remaining and also ahead of some who had regular PT and lengthy work up training. But at the same time I know that I could not pass an express test with the way I had approched the BFT. this why the BFT is a metal test.

I do agree with the we are soldiers first, but we do have non physical jobs in the army, at the same time we are trying to present ourselves as the model citizen. So this battle of physical fitness will go on and on until the liberals finnally destroy the armed forces all together.

 

[spenco]

have u guys ever heard the saying "dont judge a book by its cover?" someone said 95% of fat people may be out of shape and lazy but dont be too quick to lump in the other 5% who have busted their @ss off to get in (and stay) in shape.

 

[Spr.Earl]

Originally posted by spenco:
[qb] have u guys ever heard the saying "dont judge a book by its cover?" someone said 95% of fat people may be fat and lazy but dont be too quick to lump in the other 5% who have busted their @ss off to get in (and stay) in shape. [/qb]

Er,give us that have been in awhile a break!
We know horizontaly comprimised people when we see them!
Those people in the photo‘s are REMF‘S!
Enough said!!

 

[The_Falcon]

Wow, I knew this thread was going to get explosive. A couple a things, to those who would use the genetics (or glandular, or magic fairy) excuse fine, but like someone else already pointed out that‘s does not excuse you from shoveling back those supersized artery cloging big macs. Like I said before you can appear "fat", and still be fit, your problem is your genes don‘t want to get rid of the fat. I also agree that the BFT is not the best measure of fitness. The shuttle run is a much better indicator, or we could do what are friends to the south do, and go for a 3 mile run. The step test is a joke.

Unfortunatly as the article clearly shows, appearance does mean something to most people, and it is the first you are judge by. Their is no way around it, our brains are programmed to assess people by the way the look. And as many of know most civillians know squat about the military. They have no clue who is a combat trade, and who is a desk general, all they see is the uniform.

As a response to should we boot the smokers and drinkers. In my unit anyway a lot people do not smoke or have quit smoking (I have never smoked and never intend to.). And as of well today April 1 all messess are completely smoke free (or supposed to anyways.). As for drinking, as my CSM and various other NCO‘s have told us, don‘t go and get completly smashed if you can not get up the next day and work (if there is work the next day). You only have one body, so have a little respect and treat it right.

 

[Slim]

Nothing like strolling into the recruiting centre and seeing a bunch of lard-*** wogs and REMFs rolly-pollying around behind the counters...Makes me want to run out and join back up!

(Begins puking)

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Hey Falcon. Good points, I was referring more to the degenerative long term effects of tobacco and alcholol consumption. IN the case of alcohol, it is becoming apparent that limited consumption is actually good for you, if the French are to be believed, anyway.

We‘ve had the "fat" discussion before, and I think most of the posters have made very good points. Jungle is right about administrative action and following up failures. For the Reserves, who I presume those photos included, that isn‘t possible.

The best comment was the one who said this will go on and on....indeed it will. Individual responsibility is the issue, but unfortunately, that also gets traded off with individual commitments and priorities. Working two jobs as many reservists do, hard to get motivated to ruck up every day at 0500 for personal PT...not an excuse, just the way it is, and will be for a long time, unless the measures Jungle talks about are looked at and applied in some manner to the Reserve world.

 

[Playtime_805]

Well you no people do smoke and drink. There is nothing wrong with that. I know people who smoke and drink heavy...while at the sametime they have no problem running a marathon or doing regular PT. We have a guy in my unit who is a EME WO, about 40 years old and could do what a 20yr old guy in the infantry can do or better. He smokes a pack a day, drinks 6 beers a day and likes food with his salt and yet he is in better shape then half the combat arms soldiers. I strongly disagree with that comment.

 

[bossi]

#1 Priority = "fit to fight".

If a soldier is no longer fit to fight, how can they remain a soldier ... (especially if they become a disgrace to the uniform ...)?

We can only hide so many aerodynamic routundo‘s in Area 51 with Elvis ... while all the skinny troops have to go on twice as many missions to compensate for the ineffective ones ...

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally posted by Playtime_805:
[qb] Well you no people do smoke and drink. There is nothing wrong with that. I know people who smoke and drink heavy...while at the sametime they have no problem running a marathon or doing regular PT. We have a guy in my unit who is a EME WO, about 40 years old and could do what a 20yr old guy in the infantry can do or better. He smokes a pack a day, drinks 6 beers a day and likes food with his salt and yet he is in better shape then half the combat arms soldiers. I strongly disagree with that comment. [/qb]

And when he is in the hospital with lung cancer at age 45, he is nothing but a burden to the health care system, and to his unit, who has to replace him. Maybe he‘ll be one of the lucky ones that can pursue these vices to ripe old age. Odds are he won‘t be. Either way, why promote that lifestyle? You may be able to convince me he‘s fit, you can‘t convince me he‘s healthier because of it.

Which is the whole point - do we want to get rid of fat people because of the way they look, or are there legitimate reasons. And if those reasons are legitimate, how can they not be extended equally to people who over indulge in tobacco and alcohol as opposed to food?

 

[Infanteer]

Thing is smoking and drinking increase the CHANCES of a negative health effect in the LONG term.

Fat people are almost UNIVERSALLY unable to carry out the job of a soldier NOW.

Two different problems. One involves getting rid of nasty habits that may or may not affect ones ability, while the other involves getting rid of a nasty lifestyle that definately affects their ability to do the job now.

 

[Playtime_805]

OK I see the fact that both alcohol and tobbaco are legal products and available just like food to a fat guy. If any af thease are a problem they have to be addressed and a solution given before a ultimatum of get the F#$K out of the forces.

 

[spenco]

this topic has turned into a anti-fat people rant now, nothing more...while it is a problem that some people arent in good enough shape to be in the forces, how are out of shape fat people different then out of shape skinny people? should fat people be booted out just cause of their weight? how is that fair to the fat people who are in shape and do do a good job? you guys judge way to quickly and harshly.