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To elaborate, should custom made uniforms to fit heavily overweight service members be stopped to prevent sending the message that it's okay to be that big? Not only does it send the wrong message to the service member that we are essentially allowing it, but it also does not look good on the service of they are seen in public like that...your thoughts?
Physical Training
Uniforms
Height and Weight
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 16
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I voted no. I think custom made uniforms look great.....just not when used as a weight-hiding device. What needs to be done away with is the overlooking of standards.
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PO2 Neil Manischewitz
I've seen it more and more these days to hide overweight members. I understand if someone is seven feet tall, just not when they're seven feet wide!
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SGT Richard H.
I've also seen it for a guy that was like 100# overweight, but he was a bodybuilder and was about 6% body fat. Situations like that are all good in my opinion. I definitely agree that if it's to hide that you are a marshmallow, it's a problem.
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PO2 Neil Manischewitz
Exactly, we all already know standards need to be changed also to better suit those who are weight lifters and in shape but naturally have a bigger frame SGT Richard H.
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SGT (Join to see)
Being over weight is more than a health issue it is a retention issue, Do Not alter to hide being over weight .
I don't care one way or other if it is custom made or not . I would say you need to have proper fit .
I don't care one way or other if it is custom made or not . I would say you need to have proper fit .
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I had a platoon sergeant at Fort Bragg who had to have his BDU's custom made. He had 3% body fat was six-foot wait almost 245 pounds of had the biggest arms I had Ever Seen on human being. So a custom uniform was required and he was not overweight quite the opposite he was a physical fitness master and a huge human being
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COL William Oseles
I went through several different versions of the height /Weight standards during my active duty time. When I was an E-1 I was authorized to weigh more than when I was a Captain.
When Vesey came in with his ideal lean mean Fighting Machine they adopted the Insurance Company tables, which are ONLY designed to reduce the risk to the Insurance Companies.
I had a Sergeant in my battery when they adopted the new tables, and he was a weight lifter but did not want to join the Division Team, he lifted as a personal challenge. IF he had joined the team he would have gotten a waiver.
He came down overweight and we sent him to be checked out and they sent him to the German hospital for the saline tank test for body fat. He came back with an ARMY prescription to gain weight as his body fat was too low. We ended up losing him for over weight and he was a hell of an NCO as that was before they adopted body fat.
Thing is, read a medical study out of the British Army about their Royal Marines, 3 Commando Brigade in the Falklands. The Marines that were most functional towards the end of that were the ones that went in considered a bit overweight.
One Size does not fit all.
When Vesey came in with his ideal lean mean Fighting Machine they adopted the Insurance Company tables, which are ONLY designed to reduce the risk to the Insurance Companies.
I had a Sergeant in my battery when they adopted the new tables, and he was a weight lifter but did not want to join the Division Team, he lifted as a personal challenge. IF he had joined the team he would have gotten a waiver.
He came down overweight and we sent him to be checked out and they sent him to the German hospital for the saline tank test for body fat. He came back with an ARMY prescription to gain weight as his body fat was too low. We ended up losing him for over weight and he was a hell of an NCO as that was before they adopted body fat.
Thing is, read a medical study out of the British Army about their Royal Marines, 3 Commando Brigade in the Falklands. The Marines that were most functional towards the end of that were the ones that went in considered a bit overweight.
One Size does not fit all.
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In the Army we have AR 600-9. Less childish shaming and more enforcing of standards. Why are we calling the SM fat when we should be asking what we can do to help him/her? To answer your question, no. Afford the SM an opportunity to improve, and wear what fits him/her, regardless of it had to be altered.
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SGT (Join to see)
That's also a healthy amount of time for improvement and healthy weight loss. It can go either way. Should no struggling SM be afforded the chance to improve because of the chance they may not? BLUF unless there are other reasons the SM is unfit (incompetent, behavioral issues, or overall problem child) the SM should be allotted the appropriate amount of time to improve. We have regs for a reason.
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SGT (Join to see)
I know in my day . We had body fat index . They said I had 4 per cent body fat . I was so thin. If I did not have my uniforms altered, I would have fallen out of them belt and all . We all have differing body types and sizes . Uniforms are like hand grenades . If it is close it works . Make the best of it .
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PFC (Join to see)
SGT (Join to see) - I wished I had an NCO like you when I was serving. I struggled with losing weight after my son was born by c-section and stomach muscles were pretty tore up by the time I came back from maternity leave. My unit didn't care if I fell by the wayside. I finally got my discharge papers 20 days before my actual release date. I barely had enough time to go thru the ETS process because they waited till last minute to give my papers. So I have a somewhat bitter taste left in my mouth from my experience, but I would do it again if I had the chance to be young and fit again.
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