“I'm going to fail height-weight on purpose and get booted” – how would you handle this?

The good ole food for freedom program. In the Navy you needed to fail 3 within x years. That’s 18 months of remedial PT. I’m guessing he didn’t just re-enlist so odds are he wouldn’t get out much quicker.

Help them get out as expeditiously as possible. There is a reason(s) they want out. Whether that is a job or family waiting, incompatibility, fear of deployment, bored, etc., its pretty clear that they no longer care to put in the work or effort to be an effective asset to the service. So help them out.

Tell him to go AWOL, problem solved. He gets a bad discharge, that he can live with for the rest of his life. In the all volunteer Army, some people just fail to live up to the oath they swore.

It seems there should be a UCMJ charge for that but there doesn’t appear to be. I mean being unable to make weight and blatantly refusing are quite different. Especially since he verbally confirmed this. Ultimately the simpler choice is to just chapter according to failed height weight standards. Bothers me when soldiers do this because it can influence others to follow suit. An easy way out.

I do not agree with the height and weight standards that are used in the military because in most cases they are unrealistic. Having said that, I do agree with a physical fitness standard that should be followed to a tee. The question is why does this individual want to get out so bad that he is willing to ruin his life?

Make him finish his enlistment. Give him every crap duty that comes along, We had plenty of those during the draft. Them I could understand. But this one asked to be there. No easy way out.

Ironically, I would have done what you just did, I would have asked him what would he do in your position

the best way to convince someone of their mistake is to probe into the emotional conflicts that are driving their bad decisions

if you’re good enough you can get people to admit fallacy and make them believe that it was them who came to that conclusion

if you can’t... well, there’s always the hammer

If he's that determined to quit he becomes a detriment to his unit. You waste your time trying to help someone that doesn't want it. Get rid of him most expeditiously.

Listen, let me give the non-kool-aid answer. The Army’s obsession with keeping soldiers that genuinely don’t have animosity towards the Army, but would like to move on with life will always baffles me. Basic Training doesn’t teach jack about the real Garrison culture of the Army and in war that’s going on 2 decades, you’ll never convince a logical person that there’s something vitally important going on anymore. To be blunt The UK and Israelis allow active duty members to essentially put in notice of separation, and both are competent and wonderful armies. This forced servitude is a base cause of high suicide rates, depression, alcoholism, and apathy in general. If you disagree you’re not paying attention. Give the kid a General Discharge, pro-rate his benefits to time served, and soldier the heck on with a new guy. A honorably discharged lower enlisted infantryman just solved this argument in a single post, when sitting Generals seem incapable of doing so while pumping resources into failing programs. I respect every man/woman in uniform that works hard and toughs it out but god damn it stop burning your personnel pool culturally into the ground bc you’re butt hurt just bc a significant minority wants to out. It’s the adult version of a tantrum.

When I was in as a spec(e4) I injured my knee between deployments on a 12 mile ruck March after going to Iraq on an injured knee I was finally able to get an MRI done and it showed meniscus tears (yes plural) went to ortho the first surgeon said I was going to have surgery circled the damaged areas in my knee but he could not do the surgery he was pcsing. I was referred to another surgeon who flipped throw my films like a flip book and said that there was nothing wrong with my knee and to go back to work. (Background on my pt scores pre injury 11:00 2 mile 85 pushups 95 situps) got tired of being on profile tried to run my co ran with us and he saw my knee balloon up he ordered me to go sign out my med records and bring them to him I did he and the 1sgt discussed a course of action with each other and then with me which was for me to get out on the over weight program and then have the va fix my knee. I was ordered not to do pt. Then got out wish I had not taken that deal. But things happen for a reason.