US Army can't find enough physically fit recruits, especially in the South

This has actually been a problem in the military for a long time. At the outbreak of WWII (1939) draftees were in poor shape then to.

I would chalk up some of it to a lack of PE in schools. Sports participation is also down in general. Parents being so controlling that kids are not allowed to play outside or roam around on foot or bikes like in olden days.

BFD! SWAT special forces teams get driven around in big tanks and helicopters.

Traditional standards for physical fitness are not as important in modern warfare. Modern wars are fought behind computer screens. For every front line soldier there are six soldiers performing administrative duties. There are more than enough fit individuals to fill the front line roles.

Luv2Run wrote:

This has actually been a problem in the military for a long time. At the outbreak of WWII (1939) draftees were in poor shape then to.

I would chalk up some of it to a lack of PE in schools. Sports participation is also down in general. Parents being so controlling that kids are not allowed to play outside or roam around on foot or bikes like in olden days.

Tbh Parents NEED to get their kids IN LOVE with exercise. Before 8th grade, I thought 10 min. Mike Chang 6 pack ab workouts and grilled chicken every 2 minutes would help me get big and strong. NOT! I got a bit more fit, dropped from 14 min. miles to about 11 min. Just in 8th grade is when I even learned that pizza is bad for you. I always thought cheese is milk and milk has calcium so it must be good. Why? Because I was never taught this. The schools need to really crack down on this by having more intensive P.E. sessions. Light Dodgeball for 40 minutes isn't helping. Make kids do HARD sprints(basically the pacer 3x a week), easy runs, lift properly, do circuits etc... Attempt to make all kids play(especially at the ES and MS level, come on now) in sports. Stop benching kids in soccer and give everyone fair play time(public school teams.)

But also for the parents, It should be considered child abuse to make your kid obese knowing the consequences. There might be some rare situations but in America, where everybody knows the consequences, it should be unacceptable.

GET YOUR FU**ING KIDS MOVING! PLEASE!!!!

Luv2Run wrote:

This has actually been a problem in the military for a long time. At the outbreak of WWII (1939) draftees were in poor shape then to.

I would chalk up some of it to a lack of PE in schools. Sports participation is also down in general. Parents being so controlling that kids are not allowed to play outside or roam around on foot or bikes like in olden days.

The story says 50% of young men were qualified to serve in WWII but only 23% now.

comedyrelief wrote:

Traditional standards for physical fitness are not as important in modern warfare. Modern wars are fought behind computer screens. For every front line soldier there are six soldiers performing administrative duties. There are more than enough fit individuals to fill the front line roles.

The modern soldier marches into battle:

Hmmm...all Trump red states. I'm puzzled as to why so many "fit runners" here would align themselves with such slobs.

I enlisted to the Marines in 2005 after my senior year of high school. I was the only skinny guy in MEPS. I could run a 4.35 mile and do 25 pull ups. I was rejected because they found out I had been diagnosed with asthma. I am from the south.

rejected recruit wrote:

I enlisted to the Marines in 2005 after my senior year of high school. I was the only skinny guy in MEPS. I could run a 4.35 mile and do 25 pull ups. I was rejected because they found out I had been diagnosed with asthma. I am from the south.

The Marines get maimed, wounded, killed by enemy freedom fighters or more often beat up so bad by their own soldiers they are mentally impaired and physically disabled for life.

Noticer of idiots wrote:

Hmmm...all Trump red states. I'm puzzled as to why so many "fit runners" here would align themselves with such slobs.

REEEEE!!!! Red state Trump supporter should all be rounded up into camps and exterminated!! They're not tolerant, intelligent, compassionate people like us!

Seriously, though, leftists hate everything except illegal immigrants and abortions. Miserable lot they are.

The government isn't the solution for many problems. It's usually the problem. Either people want to be fat losers or not. People make those decisions for themselves. Unfortunately we are making the decision to become fat and soft. Not good.

If you slobs are too fat and lazy to physically take care of yourself, it is no surprise that you'd be an undisciplined red state mound of blubber draining on the thriving economies of blue states. You lard butts can't even hack an Army fitness test! Stop complaining, toughen up and be a real man, sugar lump. You are the exact opposite of a runner. And nowhere did I say exterminate them. Just stop being a little whiny baby and take some responsibility for your horrible condition.

John Utah wrote:

Noticer of idiots wrote:

Hmmm...all Trump red states. I'm puzzled as to why so many "fit runners" here would align themselves with such slobs.

Folks in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, NY, DC and Oakland are fit from rioting and running from the law. They should sign up for the military. We will be fit again.

Plus, the fine young men in these Democrat bastions (Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, NY, DC, and Oakland) have years of firearms experience, receiving government paychecks, and living in government housing.

The government's decisions have contributed mightily to the obesity problem, ranging from road construction subsidies and programs to agricultural subsidies for sugar/carb crops and "training" subsidies for the fast food industry. The school lunch program and the push for higher test scores through more core subjects and hence, less gym have also been ways in which government has facilitated the problem.

Higher percentage of obesity in the South...

There are also studies linking intelligence to fitness. Intelligent people tend to go to college after HS, not the military. Again, just generalizations.

If any of you smart fit folks want to join up I’m sure your local recruiter would love to talk to you!

Alan

I have no doubt about the veracity of the report. I would think that the services are struggling to find fit recruits from the South.

But I think there is an added factor, too. Not just anyone can enlist today. Recruits must have sufficiently high scores, in fact well above the minimums prescribed for each of the services. Our failure to educate properly limits the pool, making the lack of fitness problem all that more acute.

That's it let that racist venom out. I bet it makes you feel gooooood.

Like my dad always says" it's the computer."

Get off the computer and go outside.

John Utah wrote:

Noticer of idiots wrote:

Hmmm...all Trump red states. I'm puzzled as to why so many "fit runners" here would align themselves with such slobs.

Folks in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, NY, DC and Oakland are fit from rioting and running from the law. They should sign up for the military. We will be fit again.

Quit picking on the illegals!