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

It's an option. There is always a reason why, and there are always tough consequences that will come with attempting the option. I had it happen once. The Soldier had serious family issues and a long enlistment. It made sense once. I did the paperwork.

Very thought provoking question CPT Aaron Kletzing, can't wait to see the answers!

Don't even wait ===> "Failure to Adapt".

This was my first Active Duty Army unit in 1984-85 and I am going off memory here. This was just a 18 month tour then I PCS'd to the 101st Airborne:

Outside of my Platoon:

1LT relieved of command and forced to resign, pointing a loaded .45 at a Enlisted Member.

Easily 30-45 Article 15's for FTR, Urinanalysis Test failures, Missing Movement, DUI, etc.

Two SGT involuntarily placed into the BSEP program and told they had to pass everything with good grades or get booted out (basic math and reading issues with call for fire and TOPO map reading)

4-6 Medical profiles

4-5 Folks on "Fat Boy" remedial PT program.

Inside my Platoon:

PSG goes AWOL before quarterly records check............turns out he was a PX Ranger.

Replacement PSG, former Marine believes everyone in the Platoon should have a Article 15 as a gift towards promotion to higher rank (yeah Marines thought that way back then). He nails 3/4 of the Platoon on one BS item or another until the LT says "enough". Stopped short of me (whew!).

Section Leader busted (former 82nd Airborne) busted down to SPC from SGT for lying to a NCO. Was caught driving a privates car over an extended period of time and tried to get away with saying he just moved it once in the parking lot.

Squad Leader, Combat Infantryman from Vietnam put on notice to shape up or he will be booted out. Take your pick here, nice guy respect his service but complete inability to lead, my favorite quote repeated over and over again to me as a tracked vehicle driver over the CVC. "Wait up a minute, lets see what the other guys are doing first". OK I can understand that some of the time....but all the time?

One guy on CEDAC (Drug and Alchol reform), that guy took 8 months to boot out, unbelieveable amount of time and pure torture for the rest of us.

TWO AWOLS, little information there but one I believe illegally rented a car and made the mistake of arguing with the West German Police, I heard they beat him up pretty bad heard he just fled the country because somehow he obtained a Passport. The other guy just disappeared never to be seen or heard from again.

Thats all I remember but I am sure there were more. So I will always vote to boot someone out ASAP unless there is a really compelling reason not to. It is the taxpayers money after all being spent here.

I had to think about this between my smart ass remarks, the old school attitude adjustment methods and the plain old WTF I came to this. I would get the troops COC to sit down with him/her to discuss their issues and give him the consequences to his/her actions not to exclude health. In the old days peer pressure or hit the road talks would just push the problem off. This troop enlisted and made a promise of X many years of Service if HE/SHE bail on that promise with will haunt them for many years to include his characterized Discharge/DD214. Leadership doesn't have the time to deal with every little snow flake that feels they can take their ball and go home when they feel like it. This troops leadership should do what is required and based upon his/her value invest whatever time is warranted. Otherwise cut the troop loose and let them learn about life the hard way.

Oh yeah I think there are better pictures out there than a thin troop with a pillow under his shirt that that one, the arms don't even match that fat content :)

When I was in the Corps, I knew a guy who did this. By the time he was shown the door he had regrets. His regrets were based in the fact that he was looked upon with disdain by a the Marines who knew him.

I would rather be a Lean Mean U.S. Military Fighting Machine than a round unsound civilian on the ground.

Come on, you guys make this stuff up, right? Troops wanting to grow beards, long hair, get fat to get out. Seriously? I mean it's no secret that the military expects and instills discipline, that certain grooming standards are in place, military protocol is expected to be kept, like saluting an officer or staying fit. A person knows all this before enlisting right? I mean, there's no draft so you must be a volunteer. Makes me want to puke when I hear this stuff. Stand up, be proud and complete your commitment with pride. Whichever choice you make you'll have to live with the rest of your life. I just hope these few don't get Honorable discharges which would be an insult to all WHO HAVE served honorably. There were plenty of guys drafted for Vietnam and most served honorably, certainly someone who enlisted can do the same. Grow up and be a man.

If the soldier is not Salvageable and you tried everything to convince him to stay, I would Other then Honorable discharge him. It does no one any good to have someone not wanting to be there to that extent. It's bad for morale. As an non-rate (E-3) when I was in there was nothing more frustrating at times then seeing someone that was pulling shit like that. The slow chain movement on disciplinary action to the point of discharging that person made it appear to me and almost everyone else that they didn't care that they were like that and it dragged us down morale wise...
LCpl Smith,
3/5 Motor T

I'd have pushed the issue to have his ass chaptered for malingering. I can't stand people that don't have the spine to do what they've committed to do.

I say do it! The military doesn’t need shit bags like you. I hope the first time you really try for a decent job you get told, na! Were good, we don’t need shit bags with dishonerable discharges.