What is the purpose of the tape test?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 23:08:49 -0400

So I've seen people pass a PT test but fail height and weight. Some people are too skinny or has too much muscle. People even get chaptered out due to failing the tape test. So what's the purpose?

Response by PFC Daniel Starrett made Apr 28 at 2016 11:13 PM

PFC Daniel Starrett — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 23:13:41 -0400

I do not know baout now, I left service back in '99. But when I was in, you did not get taped unless you failed your weight. It was a "second chance" so to speak to not be flagged and possibly face discharge for being overweight. A good example would be a guy I knew in Germany. When I first arrived, he had to be taped every apft because he would fail the weight every time. Keep in mind he was a semi professional body lifter. The first year and a half I was there, he passed the tape, but his neck finally got to where he could not pass the tape, and he was finally told he could not reenlist (the chain of command did not want to discharge him because he was a hard working and honorable soldier, so let him finish his time in and get out honorably)

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 28 at 2016 11:13 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 23:13:44 -0400

right or wrong, the Army has a specific goal for standards of appearance. PT test is a measure of fitness level, tape test is a measure of meeting standard of appearance. Yes, there is some overlap in how they relate, but they are considered separate metrics.

Response by SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT made Apr 29 at 2016 12:52 AM

SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 00:52:43 -0400

The two items are completely separate items that tend to go together for the many.
I would get over 400 in the 5 event and 300 in the 3 event prior to a permanent profile after Somalia.
Dealt with having caliper test done by medical to determine maximum weight and tape tests for body fat % throughout most of my military career; penalized for having a muscular body frame.
I think every person should be tested using the water displacement for a baseline
The VA uses Body Mass indicator BMI at 6' and 250 at 33.9 I am considered "Obese"
I was calipered tested two months prior to this reenlistment picture as part of attending the Primary Leadership Coarse (PLC) and being a SP4 promotable.

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2016 1:29 AM

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 01:29:56 -0400

The purpose of the tape test is to determine a person's body composition. Now I have busted up taping Mafia rings. I had one SGM tell me he broke up one where the Soldiers had been charging. Money to falsify DA Forms 5500/01s. The side effect of the tape test is it is easy to cheat and produce a false DA Form to male it appear that you are in compliance. OK an over 40 year old female is 64" tall and weighs 176 lbs just one month after her liposuction surgery. Her DA Form 5501 said she was 25% body composition. And she scored really high on the pretend APFT she took the same day. I was 63" and 123lbs. and my body composition came out 26%. Can you even imagine that a woman weighed 53lbs. more than I did and we were with I'm less than I'm inch in height. I outed their fraud and the people that helped her.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 29 at 2016 3:32 AM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 03:32:19 -0400

I just wanted to suggest some things that quite seriously helped me get down from 342 lbs at 5 ft 7 in, to now about 257-258 lbs, give or take. I'm only mentioning them here as I quite honestly thought they might be of some very real help, honest. Look at http://www.portioncontroller.com, a Medicare approved double belt external nonsurgical wearable lapband used in conjunction with a modified Atkins diet. The science behind it, I read the u.s. and UK related research papers on the website and did considerable looking into it. It can only be dispensed and fitted by trained clinical professionals, though the belts are quite comfortable, and did very definitely work for me, though you'd of course need to see if that approach would be suitable for you, obviously, never try to adjust the belts yourself if you're able to be allowed to use them. Also, in all truth, I quite honestly don't know if the services accept them, or if they'd be avail in your area, though you might certainly inquire. Also, next, I'd always found jogging while necessary of course, quite boring, so, some time ago, I started training in aikido, a blend of judo, jujitsu, and kendo, it's a purely defensive art, there is a rallypoint group for it, if you check, look up on Google the u.s. aikido federation, for any dojos teaching where you are. I can virtually assure you that, from what I've seen, and those who've taught me, though I'm by no means even remotely close to anything expert, I assure you, doing 3 hrs of aikido is like running 5-10 mi I'd found, in terms of aerobic energy expenditure, and which has also very realistically helped keep my weight down, as well. Further, and this is purely my opinion, of course, I've generally found it the most complex of the martial arts, though, that as I said, is purely my view, obviously. The hand motions are very very complex, as is the technique of constantly falling and getting up extremely fatiguing, so if you want to lose weight while challenging your mind, though you'd need to be very patient at first as you likely won't understand what's being done for sevl months at first, trust me, if you're in decent health, aikido could conceivably help you, as it did me. Certainly, you might prefer some other art, however if you care to discuss it here further at all, I'd of course be most eager and willing to do so whenever convenient, by all means, hope the info was of use.

Portion Controller - Lose Weight Without Diets And Diet Food

Join the weight loss revolution that is sweeping America with Portion Controller. Portion Controller is scientifically proven to control hunger.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Apr 29 at 2016 6:13 AM

SGM Erik Marquez — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 06:13:55 -0400

SPC Private RallyPoint Member the answer you seek is in AR 600-9 http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r600_9.pdf
APFT is a general measure of one's overall physical fitness.
Army Body Composition Program is a general measure of body comp or how much body fat you have in comparison to the rest of the body's components.
3–2. Standard
a. Soldiers are required to meet the prescribed body fat standard, as indicated in appendix B. Soldiers will be screened every 6 months, at a minimum, to ensure compliance with this regulation.

This is normally done against the suggestion of the reg, at the same time as the required APFT and results are required on the same form.

b. In order to ensure the ABCP does not interfere with Soldier performance on the APFT, commanders and supervisors are encouraged to allow a minimum of 7 days between APFT and weigh-in, if feasible.

If the SM does not meet the screen table limits, they are then administered a Tape Test to determine body fat levels. Additionally d. Commanders have the authority to direct a body fat assessment on any Soldier that they determine does not present a Soldierly appearance, regardless of whether or not the Soldier exceeds the screening table weight for his orher measured height.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Apr 29 at 2016 1:08 PM

SGM Steve Wettstein — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 13:08:36 -0400

The purpose of the tape test is to get your body fat percentage. Each sex and age group has a certain percentage that they have to be under.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2016 10:02 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 10:02:47 -0400

Read AR 600-9. It fully explains the purpose.