Honorable discharges for PT failures?

I do believe they should get honorable discharge. Let's save the dis- honorable discharges for the DUI and other criminal acts for those Soldiers

I was discharged for pt failure, but not because I wanted to go home. Because I didn't. Every day after duty hours I went to the gym on base and busted my ass for hours. I ate all healthy foods and drank bottle after bottle of water and still couldn't pass. It breaks my heart that I was discharged. I would do anything to have been able to pass. Not all of us are shit bags. My SSG's treated me so horribly because of it and sometimes they made me want to kill myself. They couldn't see how hard I really was trying. Still to this day the things they used to say really bother me.

It's hard to depict with a question that is not very descriptive. Some fail because they do have medical problems and didn't know it at the time until they finally sought help. It depends really. Now, clearly, if you were to catch someone like the example used abusing their "illness" that's a whole other ball game. Otherwise, I say send them on their way.

I agree that many soldiers use it as an excuse. if you can't maintain the standard then it is time to organize your priorities to reflect what you want to do with your life. if they signed on the dotted line and swore an oath knowing that of many possibilities they would have to be physically active they have only themselves to blame.

I know a lot will hate it but the old standard "they volunteered" is in full effect here. what halfwit doesn't know that they will be required to engage in physical training? if a recruiter is so good as to convince someone that any branch of the military will be all ice cream and hookers, give that person a trophy!

I have seen many soldiers return missing limbs and still manage to maintain or exceed the standard, is it really too much to ask to toe the line?

I agree, but what I hate to point out is that a Soldiers failure to complete APFT standards is a leadership failure in terms of mentorship. Regardless of what anyone says, PT is a leadership function. If not, there would be no point in organized PT. If its a motivational again... where is the soldiers mentor. Why isn't the team/squad leader taking that soldier out after duty hours and training that Soldier 1 on 1? PT has never been my strongest suit, but the only other excuse is medical, in which case, go heal up, recondition, and pass the thing.

When a soldier graduates AIT, they have passed the standard 3 event APFT. If they fail after that, something is not going as it should with the units leaders... typically the first line leader.

Thankfully there is very little of this in the Marine Corps, at least when I was in ('96 to 2000). Among officers and NCOs? Forget about it. You must be an example of ongoing fitness, commensurate with your age of course. Junior enlisted men and women will get immediate attention for letting themselves get weak and/or sloppy (infantry And support units just as much). You can't hump even a relatively short monthly conditioning hike in full gear and be a slob. Nor can anyone count on you to do a combat carry if you're weak and over weight. I was a Motor-T officer (back when they still had the MOS). I PTd my platoons hard, 3 to 6 miles regularly/weekly, pyramids of push-ups, pull ups sit-ups. Other days we mixed it up with soccer or combat soccer, which is soccer with prison rules. Or king of the mud pit, or series of relay races. Stayed away from football (too much stopping). Baseball if it was time to just totally time to chill. Marines loved basketball too (which I Suck at, but I at least could play disruptive defense). A lot of good athletes in the general FMF, let alone the studs. Light duty/medical issues we're legit. Only in a very very few cases did I see malingering or slovenly upkeep, which everyone quickly sniffs out. Again, my military experience was as a Marine Officer. Low PT standards and tolerance are foreign to me, as they would be to any of my Marines. The concept/image is just Daggone Nasty! God Bless the United States Marines.

If they fail they fail. If they want out let them out.

I decided to weigh in on this too. I am a veteran who was chartered out of the army after 10 yrs for failing my weight. I could come up with a million reasons why I failed and some will buy it and some will not. The truth is as I got older weight just became harder and harder to keep off. I could benge diet and lose a lot in a short amount of time, but I think I just got tired of the struggle. Though PT wasn't my problem I saw a bunch of people who it was. I watched and tried to help quite a few to improve but ultimately not fast enough for the Army. I wonder how many of them just gave up on the struggle?

I think all circumstances should be kept in mind.

I spent 32 years in uniform. By the time I retired I could barely walk the 3 miles due to injuries sustained while on duty.

Remedial PT until they pass. No pain no gain :)