Why do you have to be in better shape to reenlist?

Jinifer Leftwich — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 17:58:15 -0400

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Apr 24 at 2018 9:58 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 21:58:57 -0400

What? This is really vague. I'll try- !. A recruit will be brought to standards. 2. A current soldier must pass the standards and many unit expect them to exceed in minimums and go for the maximum- If you are a current soldier and want to stay in you should be in/and keep in the Army's standards- we don't have time/money to get someone back in shape, and being out of shape means they were not a quality soldier in the 1st place- *my opinion)

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Apr 24 at 2018 10:36 PM

SPC Margaret Higgins — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 22:36:47 -0400

The standards are much higher; when one reenlists.

Response by SGT Eric Davis made Apr 25 at 2018 2:36 AM

SGT Eric Davis — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 02:36:33 -0400

Well you should be in better shape from when you first enlisted; when I first joined the military it took me 11 minutes to run 1 miles but after basic I did two miles in 13 minutes now I can’t do it not but I can exceed the standard I suppose to have. You should alway want to be in shape being in the military cause our job depends on our health and reddiness!

Also what to do mean in better shape?

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 25 at 2018 2:42 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 02:42:17 -0400

Better shape then what? You have to meet minimal standards to reenlist. If you are talking about compared to a civilian off the street going for first initial enlistment, that is a different situation. The Army realizes that it take an effort to bring a civilian to a level of fitness that allows them to succeed in the profession. There used to be a reduced standard to graduate Basic (and I think AIT) of scoring 50 points in each event. This was in recognition of the time it takes for a recruit coming off the streets to reach an average fitness level. This is changing. Now new (and I believe prior service) candidates need to go through the OPAT (Occupational Physical Assessment Test). This was instituted after gaining units discovered that they were experiencing loss training time and injuries to Soldiers who were not physically qualified for their MOS. Even more recent changes include the revamping of basic training requirements, including raising the APFT to the standard 60 points/event.
This is a response to the feedback units are giving about new Soldiers not having the physical (and often mental) discipline they expected.

Bottom line: the military is expected to perform at a greater level, across the board. Physical fitness standards are going to continue to get a greater focus. If you are so worried about not being able to meet the same standards you were expected to adhere to when you were in before, then you may want to reconsider reenlisting.