Honorable discharges for PT failures?

I think it depends on the soldier and should be up to their unit commander.
I served 12 years 9 months at the time of my discharge. I got out as an E6 with 9 deployments and several TDYs. Was only late 3 times my entire career, never missed an appointment, and only missed work for approved leave or emergency surgery. I Had problems with my back and hip flexor for the last 5 years I was in as the result of an injury while deployed. Every time a deployment would come up I would get the doc to pull my profile and push myself through the pt test and deploy. I had senior NCOs and a Dr try to tell me I was malingering and that their was nothing wrong with me. Within a month of my separation the VA had identified the main cause of my hip flexor strain and lower back problems and corrected them. I even thought about re-enlisting since I would now be able to pass the pt test, but after being told I was a "piece if shit who wouldn't try" I have no desire to go back to having to play politics in the military.

I want to speak to their NCOs/POs and ask them why their troops/sailprs/airmen are failing.
There will be consequences for not being able to perform. Quit giving lazy asses the easy way out.

I think that, so long as they are proficient in their MOS duties, and have not been a "problem" soldier, then it is acceptable. But if they are an issue soldier, then, no. So in short, it would depend on the circumstances. That being said, if they determine that the day-in, day-out of this lifestyle is simply not for them, and they use the PT failure as a way to terminate that, then it is better that they do so. Because I don't want someone like that cluttering up my Army.

I was put out of the Navy for Bodyfat. I Definitely Didn't Want to Leave. If they called up tomorrow saying they'd take me no matter how big I've gotten I'd be on the next Plane to wherever the Navy needs me.

I Tried so hard to lose weight I gave myself Rabdo Myalisis (sp). Some people can't drop weight and maintain strength on the Military's Time Table. If I was in Weight standards I was to Weak for Push Ups and lacked Endurance for the run. If I was 30lbs Over Weight I could Run and Do Push Ups but couldn't beat the Tape.

It was 8 Years of Yo Yo Dieting and Heartache trying to stay fit for my fellow Sailors. 98th Percentile on all of my Advancement Exams.... Who do you want Treating your Illness and Injuries a Corpsman who barely Passed their Exams but Looks good in Uniform.... Or a Corpsman with Love Handles who can carry you up from the Mainspace to Medical Single handedly and knows every Drug in the crash kit?

Sorry... I take this very personally. I haven't really gotten over the Failure and Rejection.

Negative Sergeant. As long as the command doesn't allow him to stay in, he still served honorably. The point is not allowing him to stay in, not punishing them for physical issues. A retired MSG.

I felt the need to comment as this situation came about in my own life. I went reserves to pursue college at the behest of my parents. (who were both Marines, including my father who was an 06.) I had a lot of physical challenges growing up, including on leg shorter than the other, and being bow legged and pidgeon toed to the point i had to cross my legs as a child to get my pants off. Needless to say, this didnt make running easy. It made it extremely painful. I mananged to loose 150 pounds in 6 months and joined right out of high school. As I learned, the best laid plans dont always work out and I had to forego college in place of a full time job in order to pay for living expenses. This was in 08, and the only work I could find was diggin holes fortelephone poles running a 90 lbs jackhammer for 14 hours a day. This only helped to exacerbate an already strained and injured back. Needless to say, it shortly became apparent that passing the 3 mile run portion of the pft was getting to the point of impossible. I was discharged with a general under hinorable and am was not eligable for any gi bill ect. I tried to go active to by ke some time to work out my issues as all I ever wanted to be was a Marine, but my command refused to even entertain the idea. Long story short, its not always the idividual who just wants out, sometimes there are extenuating circumstancs. My general discharge has made it difficult to get a job within the federal government, so I gave up on that too. I can honestly say though, I pushed myself as hard as I could, my body just couldnt keep up with the demands. Sometimes things just dont pan out the way we want or plan.

Some I'm sure do. It's pathetic! Some of them are lazy & need to go, but those are the ones they usual keep. While they want to boot the ones that have issues w/ PT, and are workers.

I think you are mis guided in thinking its an honorable discharge. The type of discharge you get from pt failure is an administrative discharge. It's not honorable or dishonorable.

Some work their @$$ off trying to pass some people are not built to be the poster boy for uniform adds but are great at their job. I spent my last 5 years starving and running the beach. I never failed but the tape measure was always my worst event. I was great at what I did but not as pretty as others no matter how much I ran. I had sailors fail that where awesome mechanics, not because they did not try.
Today I am a distributor of several all natural products that would have made my life so much easier and healthier. I wish i could get them in the hands of every service member that is trying with little or no results.
If you are not looking for a scapegoat and are beating your self up I can help you out.

Honestly, I see no problem in an honorable discharge for PT failure if someone has served honorably. Obviously there will always be someone trying to game the system, but if it's not here, it'll just be somewhere else. I served for 8 years, and enlisted at 18 after years of track, baseball, and martial arts, and still had trouble with my APFT because I've always had weak abdominal muscles and could barely pass the sit-up portion (if at all), and I was actually underweight for a good part of my enlistment. Even so, I soldiered with the best of them and although I couldn't receive many favorable actions, such as promotions, my command still let me serve without hassle other than remedial PT. With the current cuts in personnel taking place, I'd say if they're unnecessary but serving honorably, cut their orders and send them home without ruining the rest of their lives